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Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Dublin student 'stunned' after leading team to victory on BBC's University Challenge
A Dublin student has led a Cambridge team to victory in one of the UK's most prestigious and contested televised quiz competitions. Oscar Despard captained a team from Christ's College Cambridge to victory in the final of the long-running BBC student quiz show University Challenge on Monday night. The team trailed behind the University of Warwick for most of the final but took the lead in the final minutes, winning by just five points. The final score was 175 to Christ's Cambridge and 170 to Warwick. Competing in the BBC series had been a childhood dream for Despard - made even better when the winning trophy was presented to the 22-year-old from Portobello and his team-mates Linus Luu (maths), Brendan Bethlehem (linguistics), and Anniko Firman (classics) by the actor Ian McKellen. Speaking to Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1, Despard said he kept the outcome 'very quiet' and that people were surprised by their win. He said his father, William, who runs a bakery in Portobello, and his mother, Niamh Moran, a professor at the Royal College of Surgeons, were very proud of him. Despard said there was a big turnout for a special event hosted by the college, where the quiz show was screened for the crowd in attendance, including the master and fellows of the college. Back home in south Dublin, another screening took place at his former sailing club in Dún Laoghaire. He said his sister, who lives in England, was also watching on the night. He said that despite the show being recorded some months back, he felt anxious all over again while watching it back for the first time, describing the last few minutes of the show as 'too close for comfort'. 'It's a show I have been watching for a long time, as has all the rest of the team, so we were all quite somewhat stunned but also happy to have won, especially under the circumstances,' he told Callan. At the age of just 14, Oscar did a project for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition on how gluten degrades during long fermentation in sourdough bread, and he later went on to win the Individual Prize at the exhibition in 2020. The 22-year-old, who is studying for a PhD in molecular biology, attended Sandford Park School in Ranelagh and was one of just two Leaving Cert students in Ireland in 2021 to achieve nine H1s.
RTÉ News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Dublin scholar in tonight's University Challenge final
Dubliner Oscar Despard will captain Christ's College, Cambridge in the final of University Challenge tonight - one of the UK's most prestigious and fiercely contested quiz competitions. Competing in the BBC series has been a childhood dream for the 22-year-old from Portobello. His father, William Despard, said it's an exciting and nerve-wracking day, and although the programme has been pre-recorded, he has no idea of the outcome. "I genuinely do not know the result. I did try to angle it out of my son around the second round," he said. "He's more sensible than his father. He told me, 'Well, you're not going to enjoy it as much if you know.'" Oscar Despard faced another Dubliner in the semi-final - Kevin Flanagan from Dundrum, who captained the University of Bristol team. They narrowly missed out on a place in tonight's final. William Despard will be watching the final at the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, where his son used to sail "when he had time!" Serving customers in his Portobello bakery today, William Despard also spoke about his son's long-standing interest in bread - specifically gluten. At the age of 14, Oscar did a project for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition on how gluten degrades during long fermentation in sourdough bread. He went on to win the Individual Prize at the exhibition in 2020. Oscar attended Sandford Park School in Ranelagh and was one of just two Leaving Cert students in Ireland in 2021 to achieve nine H1s. His former principal, Edith Byrne, described him today as a "humble, modest, all-round student" who was "hugely involved in the life of the school." "He was a wonderful role model as head boy. He was particularly active in debating - in Irish, English, and French - and he also chaired the Young People's Parliament." She added that Oscar is "very calm under pressure," which she hopes will stand to him this evening. Now studying for a PhD in molecular biology at Christ's College, Cambridge, Oscar will watch the final at a screening in a theatre on campus. His mother, Professor Niamh Moran, a scientist at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said she is immensely proud of her son, no matter the outcome. The University Challenge final, between Christ's College, Cambridge, and the University of Warwick, airs tonight at 8.30pm on BBC Two.
