170 schools to commence battle in TCH national quiz

SOME 6,000 questions have been written and 170 schools are waiting to do battle in the Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH) schools quiz.

Following a very successful inaugural quiz last year, the final was eventually won by Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

The Ulster team defeated St Aloysius School, Cork, and the winners picked up the first prize of a portable Apple computer laboratory worth E20,000.

The final was broadcast on RTÉ radio last April and the national broadcaster will have close links with the quiz again this year.

The highly respected event includes 67 teams from Munster, 56 from Leinster, 23 from Connacht and 24 from Ulster.

“There is nothing comparable to this in the country and there is great enthusiasm throughout the 32 counties about the quiz,” TCH quiz organiser Barry Woods said.

The first heats will take place next month and the quiz will have a backdoor system this year to give teams a second chance.

Up to 60 staff from 12 newspapers in the TCH group will help organise the quiz across the country.

“This is a major initiative on our part and we’re confident it’s an event that’s attractive to schools,” Mr Woods said.

The quiz is a follow-on from the schools quiz organised by the Irish Examiner in the 1990s.

Each quiz will consist of 10 rounds of questions.

The questions that will cover areas such as arts and literature, science and /nature, as well as current affairs, history, geography, sport, politics, music and media.

The final will take place next April and will be broadcast on RTÉ radio.