Mastermind-What would be your specialist subject?

ranch · April 06, 2013, 03:13:07 AM

Is the Credit Union schools quiz still running?

The team I was in had a great record. Originally, as a shy 10 year old, I didn't want to be involved but my teacher asked us some random capital cities and I was the only one who knew Canberra was the Aussie capital and Harare was the Zimbabwean capital. My fate was sealed!

In primary 6 we competed against other schools who had a P6 team and we won our way through the Newry section, and then the wider 'chapter' section, to the All Ireland final where we came joint 3rd.

In P7 we then had to compete against other schools' P7 teams as well as first year teams from all the post primary schools in Newry. We won the Newry section again beating the Abbey CBS by one point (which even shocked us), won our 'chapter' section again and again made it to the AI final where we once more came 3rd.

Great memories

Oraisteach · April 06, 2013, 05:00:27 AM

ranch, I smile at your knowing Harare as a 10-yr-old because such knowledge is a virtual guarantee of quiz success, a sign that the quiz coach has a star in the making, a vacuum cleaner of facts.

I'll always remember a tryout I held and my delight at finding a new boy who knew that Ouagadougou was the capital of Burkina Faso. I knew that I'd have damn all coaching to do, and sure enough, when he got older, he captained the school to a state championship, captained his university College Bowl team, and appeared on the quiz show "Jeopardy."

My biggest task as his coach was simply to drive the van and get him to the contests on time.

ballinaman · April 06, 2013, 10:56:06 AM

Photoshop

ONeill · April 06, 2013, 01:28:44 PM

Quote from: ranch on April 06, 2013, 03:13:07 AM
Is the Credit Union schools quiz still running?

The team I was in had a great record. Originally, as a shy 10 year old, I didn't want to be involved but my teacher asked us some random capital cities and I was the only one who knew Canberra was the Aussie capital and Harare was the Zimbabwean capital. My fate was sealed!

In primary 6 we competed against other schools who had a P6 team and we won our way through the Newry section, and then the wider 'chapter' section, to the All Ireland final where we came joint 3rd.

In P7 we then had to compete against other schools' P7 teams as well as first year teams from all the post primary schools in Newry. We won the Newry section again beating the Abbey CBS by one point (which even shocked us), won our 'chapter' section again and again made it to the AI final where we once more came 3rd.

Great memories

Memories of that too. We got to the local final and missed out by one question. What is a Red Admiral. We didn't know. The Master kicked us around the yard for a week.

Tony Baloney · April 06, 2013, 01:53:47 PM

I lost us a boys v girls quiz in P5. Level going into the last question, in my excitement I blurted out the answer "Frankie Goes To Hollywood". I didn't put my hand up so it didn't count and the girls stole it

As you can tell, almost 30 years later it has had no affect on me

mayogodhelpus@gmail.com · April 06, 2013, 02:03:24 PM

Geography - despite Rathlin / Tory Island mix-up.

armaghniac · April 06, 2013, 03:56:06 PM

I remember the schools mastermind in Newry. One of my friends was in this and used the subject of his sister's PhD as his specialist topic, as much in the hope of pulling a fast one as because he actually knew a lot about it. The late Sean Hollywood was quizmaster and he had gone to QUB and consulted the PhD and had appropriate questions prepared! It wasn't a great round for my mate.

Oraisteach · April 06, 2013, 05:37:43 PM

Quiz match diplomatic incident!
The lad I mentioned a couple of posts back caused all sorts of pandemonium on a televised quiz match against two other schools.

The opening round was a head-to-head buzzer round, a kind of a get-your-feet-wet affair, so the questions weren't very taxing. The problem is that not only would the quizmaster read the questions, the questions would also appear on a screen which the home audience could see.

Realizing this, and ignoring the slow-reading quizmaster, the lad would buzz the instant the question appeared on the screen, thereby locking out his opponents. He would then simply read the question and answer it.

Things got chaotic when the guy in charge of projecting the questions onto the screen took his cue from the kid and not the quizmaster so that very soon my student was answering questions that had not officially been asked yet.

Needless to say, the other teams' coaches went ballistic, but the damage was done, we were up 100 to 0, the other teams' confidence was shattered, and we cantered to an easy win.

theticklemister · April 06, 2013, 05:56:39 PM

Quote from: ONeill on April 06, 2013, 01:28:44 PM
Quote from: ranch on April 06, 2013, 03:13:07 AM
Is the Credit Union schools quiz still running?

The team I was in had a great record. Originally, as a shy 10 year old, I didn't want to be involved but my teacher asked us some random capital cities and I was the only one who knew Canberra was the Aussie capital and Harare was the Zimbabwean capital. My fate was sealed!

In primary 6 we competed against other schools who had a P6 team and we won our way through the Newry section, and then the wider 'chapter' section, to the All Ireland final where we came joint 3rd.

In P7 we then had to compete against other schools' P7 teams as well as first year teams from all the post primary schools in Newry. We won the Newry section again beating the Abbey CBS by one point (which even shocked us), won our 'chapter' section again and again made it to the AI final where we once more came 3rd.

Great memories

Memories of that too. We got to the local final and missed out by one question. What is a Red Admiral. We didn't know. The Master kicked us around the yard for a week.

It is still going. I took my p7 student teaching class to it in december in the waterside. Some questions.......

What county in ireland is closest to scotland

What is the biggest county in ulster.

My class said cardiff to both. I rung their wee necks on the way home!!

under the bar · April 06, 2013, 06:26:39 PM

Tony F's could be:

"Armagh GAA = the Glory Years 2002-2002!"

Seamroga in exile · April 06, 2013, 06:51:14 PM

Pink Floyd

muppet · April 06, 2013, 06:58:18 PM

Quote from: theticklemister on April 06, 2013, 05:56:39 PM
It is still going. I took my p7 student teaching class to it in december in the waterside. Some questions.......

What county in ireland is closest to scotland

What is the biggest county in ulster.

My class said cardiff to both. I rung their wee necks on the way home!!

Jebus.

3 of us did the Scór quiz years ago and lost by one point/question which I successfully appealed. They told us the official colours for Mayo was Green, Red and White and didn't give us a point when our man (12 years old) said Green and Red. I went up afterwards and asked them what colours would they put on a Mayo flag. They thought a bout it and then they let both teams through, but we got nowhere in the county final. That was my very first fleg controversy.