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Challenging Times was a quiz show for teams representing higher education institutes in Ireland, both those in the Republic of Ireland and those in Northern Ireland. It was televised by RTÉ from 1991 to 2001, sponsored by The Irish Times, and presented by Kevin Myers, then a columnist with that newspaper.[1] The programme used a quizbowl format similar to that of University Challenge in the United Kingdom, which is itself a licensed version of the College Bowl format popular in the United States. Each year, 16 teams qualified for the televised knockout stages, with two teams of three competing in each programme up to the final.
The programme was cancelled after the 2001 series, at a time when RTÉ was in financial difficulties.[2] The final of that series was postponed at short notice and an episode of The Simpsons was broadcast instead.[3] Kevin Myers later complained that RTÉ had given The Irish Times no notice that the series was being discontinued,[4] though RTÉ disputed this contention.[5]
[edit] Finals
| year |
winner |
runner-up |
| 1991[6] |
St Patrick's College, Maynooth |
University of Limerick |
| 1992 [7] |
St Patrick's College, Maynooth |
Trinity College, Dublin |
| 1993[8] |
University College, Cork |
Bolton Street College of Technology |
| 1994[9] |
University College, Cork |
Cork Regional Technical College |
| 1995 |
University College, Galway [10] |
University of Limerick[11] |
| 1996 [10] |
University College, Galway |
Cork Regional Technical College |
| 1997[12] |
Dublin City University |
University of Limerick |
| 1998 [13] |
University College, Dublin |
Dublin Institute of Technology |
| 1999[14] |
National University of Ireland, Maynooth |
Dublin Institute of Technology |
| 2000 [15] |
National College of Ireland[16] |
National University of Ireland, Galway |
| 2001[17] |
University College, Cork |
National University of Ireland, Galway |
[edit] References
- ^ Ferrie, Liam. "Education", The Irish Emigrant, January 14 1991. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ O'Mahony, Catherine. "Independent producers bemoan cutbacks", Sunday Business Post, 24 March 2002. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ McGarry, Patsy. "Final of quiz series replaced by `Simpsons'", The Irish Times, 31 May 2001. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ Myers, Kevin. "An Irishman's Diary", The Irish Times, 12 July 2001. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ "'Challenging Times'", The Irish Times, 28 November 2001. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Ferrie, Liam. "Education", The Irish Emigrant, April 22 1991. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ Ferrie, Liam. "Education", The Irish Emigrant, May 25 1992. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ Murphy, Christina. "Great victory for UCC", The Irish Times, 20 April 1993, p. 1 (Education & Living).
- ^ "UCC on top in Cork challenge", The Irish Times, 26 April 1994, p. 7 (Education & Living).
- ^ a b "Top prize goes west, again", The Irish Times, 23 April 1996. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ "How the West was Won", The Irish Times, 4 April 1995.
- ^ Connolly, John. "UL fall down under the gong", The Irish Times, 22 April 1997. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Roddy. "Champion stuff, boys", The Irish Times, 21 April 1998. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Roddy. "Maynooth, DIT revisit triumph, heartbreak", The Irish Times, 27 April 1999. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Tanney, Paul. "Titan clash in quiz final", The Irish Times, May 9 2000. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Foundation / Access Course Graduate Reunion. National College of Ireland (2004). Retrieved on 2007-05-31. “John was a member of the NCI team who became overall winners of RTÉ's university quiz show, Challenging Times.”
- ^ Gallery: Challenging Times Final. NUIG Student Information Network (March 2001). Retrieved on 2007-06-01.
