Dalriada’s Bar team over the weekend travelled to the Old Bailey in London to compete in the UK final of the Bar Mock Trial Competition and ended up coming through four rounds against some very stiff opposition to take the Title.

Having won the Northern Ireland title several months ago, extensive practice and indeed fund raising has taken place. Under the careful management of Miss Susan Gregg and technical support of two practising barristers from the bar council of NI the team has worked tirelessly in the run up to these finals.

Saturday saw Dalriada come through three rounds against some very tough English opposition and win through to the final.  In the first round they came up against Denbigh High school from Oxford followed by Kesteven and Grantham Girls School from Nottingham, This put Dalriada into the semi-final against a Yorkshire School, Wilmslow High from Sheffield. Again the standard was extremely high but it was the Northern Irish School that got the verdict.

In the final Dalriada would face Clitheroe Royal Grammar School from Preston in Lancashire and this time the trial would be presided over by four Judges. With the celebrity Judge Rinder watching carefully from the balcony it was Dalriada that came out the winners much to the delight of the entire party including Headmaster Tom Skelton who had travelled with the group to London.

It was Dalriada’s fourth time competing at this National level, where twice they had lost in the final but this time they were finally crowned as champions. With some of the team also involved in last week’s BBC choir of the Year win it has been an epic few months for the school competing at the highest level in a number of activities.  Some of the party will also travel with the Volleyball teams who on Monday travel south to play in the All Ireland Final after becoming NI champions last month.