A Dublin student has led a Cambridge team to victory in one of the UK's most prestigious and fiercely contested quiz competitions.
Oscar Despard was captain of the Christ's College Cambridge team which won University Challenge in a hotly contested quiz tonight.
The team trailed behind for most of the quiz, taking the lead in the final minutes and winning by just five points.
The final score was 175 to Christ's Cambridge and 170 to Warwick.
Competing in the BBC series has been a childhood dream for the 22-year-old from Portobello.
Before the result was known, his father William Despard said it was an exciting and nerve-wracking day, and although the programme had been pre-recorded, he had 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 watched 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 watched 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.
