Weekend camp for growing Kilcullen Scouts group

The camping scouts and leaders pictured with visitor Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer yesterday afternoon.

An overnight camp at a site earmarked for a new Den for the 9th Kildare Kilcullen Scouts group had 42 scouts and 15 Leaders under canvas last evening, writes Brian Byrne. The troop is now in its 47th year, and there's a wait list for membership.

The group caters for young people aged 6-18 through Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Ventures. After that they can become Rovers aged 18-26, from which many train as Leaders.

The site is behind the all-weather pitch on the Kilcullen Community Centre campus, and when lease details are finalised the group will be able to organise a fundraising campaign to build the new premises. Their current Den is in a space in the Community Centre building which no longer can comfortably accommodate the growing numbers. "A new Den will be able to cater for a larger number of youngsters and all our Leaders, and we'll still have room at the back for camping," says current group Leader Annette Fogarty Murphy, who has been involved with the Kilcullen scouts for the past 15 years.

The activities over the weekend included practising pioneering skills, first aid, making fires with flint and steel, and cooking and singing around the campfire. Through the morning and afternoon, parents and other visitors came along to help set up the camp. "We have invested in our equipment and tents over the years, and we have four new air tents, one of which we're showcasing this weekend."

Kilcullen Scouts were established in 1977, originally located in the Tennis Club. After going through several temporary premises, they got their first purpose-built Den in 2000 in the Community Centre. Through the decades, the group has contributed to the community in very many ways. To note just a few, they have hosted parties for Kilcullen's seniors, and raised funds for many good causes — including aid for the families who lost their homes in the Millfield Manor fire of 2015. 

In 2013, under the direction of then Venture scout Emma Birchall — a Cub of the Year in 2006 — they organised Kilcullen's first St Patrick's Day Parade. Members supported the Kilcullen team in the 2014 Kildare Relay for Life, for which they were given a Kilcullen Community Award. In 2005, the late Dick Reade and his wife Kitty were given a special presentation for their contribution to scouting in the town. In 2017, the scouts were selected as the charity partner for Eurospar Kilcullen, as a mark of appreciation for their contribution to the town.

Still going strong in 2024, onwards and upwards.

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