Castlebridge, Co. Wexford
It started with
an argument.
On 10 November 1951 a shooting party in Castlebridge had a heated debate over which was the fastest game bird in Europe. Nobody could settle it, because no book existed that could. That evening, in Castlebridge House, one of the party, Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of Guinness, suggested the idea for the Guinness Book of Records.
In 1996 the Guinness World Record for the Longest Argument (also known as the Longest Debating Marathon) was won by a group in Tasmania, at 29 days and 4 hours.
In spring 2027 Castlebridge intends to bring the Longest Debating Marathon Record back to the Birthplace of Guinness World Records.
75th anniversary year
10 Nov 2026 — 10 Nov 2027
Did you know?
Castlebridge has its own rules for arguments. We strongly recommend applying them here: they make for the most inspiring thinking.
Thirty days, and not much to spare
The record has stood to Tasmania since 1996. Beating it means debating continuously — day and night, without breaking the thread — for longer than 29 days, 4 hours, 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
29:04:03:20
Tasmania, 1996. Days, hours, minutes, seconds — the standing record.
19h 56m
All that is left of a 30-day attempt. Lose the thread once and there is no second run.
What it takes
5 + 5
on the benches, always
Two teams. At least five people on each bench at every moment of the attempt. If either side drops below five, the attempt is over.
24 / 7
for a month
The debate does not stop overnight. Speakers rotate, rest is earned by the hour, and nobody may sit for more than eight hours at a stretch.
2
independent witnesses, at all times
Working shifts of no more than four hours, keeping a logbook, alongside continuous timed video of the floor.
Which is why this cannot be done by a handful of people. It needs hundreds.
Charity partner
A month of people talking to each other
The attempt is run with our charity partner It's Good 2 Talk, and the point of it is not only the record. Thirty days of structured debate makes a fair case for talking — about anything, including the things people find hardest to raise.
Why debate
Take a side
Speakers, adjudicators, witnesses, timekeepers, stewards, medics, photographers, night crew. Tell us what you could do and we will come back to you as the roster is built.
Apply to take part