An exciting, fun filled, once in a lifetime opportunity was had last weekend to kick off our scouting year at Swords Scouts!
Group Camp 2025 was held right on our own doorstep within the walls of this beautiful local landmark. Around 130 youth members from Beaver Scouts to Rover Scouts enjoyed a medieval themed camp filled with fun activities, local historical landmark orienteering, campfires, song and camaraderie.
This will be a long lasting memory for all our members to grow up with and in time they can re-tell of their adventures within the castle walls to the next generation!!
We are extremely grateful to Darren and Noel for proposing the opportunity, Fingal County Council, Tom O'Leary, Lidl Ireland, Archery Ireland and all of the adult scouters who worked tirelessly over the last few months and over the weekend to ensure this was the best experience possible. A very special thanks to all our fantastic youth members for being an inspiring and wonderful group of young people, we are very proud of you all 🤩
Group Camp 2025 was held right on our own doorstep within the walls of this beautiful local landmark. Around 130 youth members from Beaver Scouts to Rover Scouts enjoyed a medieval themed camp filled with fun activities, local historical landmark orienteering, campfires, song and camaraderie.
This will be a long lasting memory for all our members to grow up with and in time they can re-tell of their adventures within the castle walls to the next generation!!
We are extremely grateful to Darren and Noel for proposing the opportunity, Fingal County Council, Tom O'Leary, Lidl Ireland, Archery Ireland and all of the adult scouters who worked tirelessly over the last few months and over the weekend to ensure this was the best experience possible. A very special thanks to all our fantastic youth members for being an inspiring and wonderful group of young people, we are very proud of you all 🤩
49th Swords Ventures,
Huge congratulations to Evan and Sandris, who represented Swords Ventures at this year’s Dúshlán National Competition.
Dúshlán is an incredibly tough expedition that demands skill, teamwork, and determination.
Over the course of a week, they hiked 140km around rural Ireland with just their backpacks, a tent, and a very small budget to survive on. Along the way they relied on their initiative,
speaking with locals to find places to camp and even managing to charm their way to the occasional meal or treat to keep them going.
A lot of work went into preparing and competing, and their efforts paid off. Evan and Sandris achieved all three honours:
📜Certificate
⚜️ Badge
🥇 Pin
They’ve represented Swords 49th with pride.
Venturing is about resilience, adventure, friendship, and discovering what you are capable of Evan and Sandris showed all of that throughout this challenge.
👏 Well done, Evan and Sandris,
a fantastic achievement! We are proud of you both!
Huge congratulations to Evan and Sandris, who represented Swords Ventures at this year’s Dúshlán National Competition.
Dúshlán is an incredibly tough expedition that demands skill, teamwork, and determination.
Over the course of a week, they hiked 140km around rural Ireland with just their backpacks, a tent, and a very small budget to survive on. Along the way they relied on their initiative,
speaking with locals to find places to camp and even managing to charm their way to the occasional meal or treat to keep them going.
A lot of work went into preparing and competing, and their efforts paid off. Evan and Sandris achieved all three honours:
📜Certificate
⚜️ Badge
🥇 Pin
They’ve represented Swords 49th with pride.
Venturing is about resilience, adventure, friendship, and discovering what you are capable of Evan and Sandris showed all of that throughout this challenge.
👏 Well done, Evan and Sandris,
a fantastic achievement! We are proud of you both!
🌲 Crawfordsburn Cub Camp 2025 🌲
29 June – 4 July | A week of adventure, learning, and Cub-powered chaos for Swords 49th Cubs.
Days 4-6
🔬 Belfast Adventures
Wednesday started early with sandwich making and a hike into Belfast for our W5 science day. It was a whirlwind of rollercoaster simulators, dinosaur shows, and hands-on experiments. We arrived home late and hungry — and the Cubs still managed to whip up a chicken stir fry before bedtime!
Thursday was all about escape-room fun at “Prison Break” — a brilliant (and exhausting!) challenge that tested teamwork and patience. We picnicked outside Belfast City Hall before heading off for a shopping spree with the Cubs’ leftover money (some of which had already been enthusiastically spent at the tuck shop). They hunted down a bargain and loaded up on treats and toys!
Dinner that night was a KFC party bucket feast — a huge hit with the Cubs — followed by our “No-Cook Off” dessert challenge, where they created chaotic, sugar-fuelled masterpieces from all sorts of ingredients. It was messy. It was mayhem. It was brilliant.
That night, we held our end-of-camp awards — with huge congratulations to Rhys and Charlotte, our well-deserved Cubs of the Camp 🌟
---
⛺ Final Morning & Farewell
Despite the late night, Friday morning saw the Cubs already taking down their tents before we even asked. Talk about initiative! Dispite the rain, We packed up the van and set off on the return journey — trains, chats, and a very quiet final stretch home. (with a few Naps)
We arrived back in Drogheda Friday evening — tired, proud, and full of stories.
---
💚 Thank You & Well Done
To the Cubs: You amazed us with your resilience, cooking, curiosity, and kindness.
To the parents: Thank you for trusting us with your brilliant young people — they did you proud.
To the leaders: Coffee-fuelled, sleep-deprived legends. What a team. 💪
(Declan, Miriam, Jenny & Paddy)
As always, it’s bittersweet to see some of our older Cubs preparing to move up to Scouts. They’ve left a legacy behind and will always be part of the pack. ⚜️
29 June – 4 July | A week of adventure, learning, and Cub-powered chaos for Swords 49th Cubs.
Days 4-6
🔬 Belfast Adventures
Wednesday started early with sandwich making and a hike into Belfast for our W5 science day. It was a whirlwind of rollercoaster simulators, dinosaur shows, and hands-on experiments. We arrived home late and hungry — and the Cubs still managed to whip up a chicken stir fry before bedtime!
Thursday was all about escape-room fun at “Prison Break” — a brilliant (and exhausting!) challenge that tested teamwork and patience. We picnicked outside Belfast City Hall before heading off for a shopping spree with the Cubs’ leftover money (some of which had already been enthusiastically spent at the tuck shop). They hunted down a bargain and loaded up on treats and toys!
Dinner that night was a KFC party bucket feast — a huge hit with the Cubs — followed by our “No-Cook Off” dessert challenge, where they created chaotic, sugar-fuelled masterpieces from all sorts of ingredients. It was messy. It was mayhem. It was brilliant.
That night, we held our end-of-camp awards — with huge congratulations to Rhys and Charlotte, our well-deserved Cubs of the Camp 🌟
---
⛺ Final Morning & Farewell
Despite the late night, Friday morning saw the Cubs already taking down their tents before we even asked. Talk about initiative! Dispite the rain, We packed up the van and set off on the return journey — trains, chats, and a very quiet final stretch home. (with a few Naps)
We arrived back in Drogheda Friday evening — tired, proud, and full of stories.
---
💚 Thank You & Well Done
To the Cubs: You amazed us with your resilience, cooking, curiosity, and kindness.
To the parents: Thank you for trusting us with your brilliant young people — they did you proud.
To the leaders: Coffee-fuelled, sleep-deprived legends. What a team. 💪
(Declan, Miriam, Jenny & Paddy)
As always, it’s bittersweet to see some of our older Cubs preparing to move up to Scouts. They’ve left a legacy behind and will always be part of the pack. ⚜️
🌲 Crawfordsburn Cub Camp 2025 🌲
29 June – 4 July | A week of adventure, learning, and Cub-powered chaos for Swords 49th Cubs.
This camp was truly something special. From the moment we arrived, the Cubs threw themselves into every challenge and adventure with such spirit, curiosity, and kindness — it honestly made our jobs feel more like a privilege than a task.
---
Day 1-3
🚂 The Journey Begins
On Sunday, our Cubs set off bright and early, travelling by train from Drogheda to Belfast and then onwards to St. Helena Bay. Spirits were high and their rucksacks… let’s just say they were bursting — not with gear, but with sneaked-in goodies and highly questionable “essentials” (tub of Pringles, anyone? 😅).
With our bags safely sent ahead , we enjoyed the scenic train ride and then a solid 15-minute hike to Crawfordsburn Scout Centre — ready to unplug from the world and plug into nature. Tents were pitched with enthusiasm (and only minor tent pole wrangling), and we kicked things off with a Cub-cooked feast of burgers and potatoes.
---
💪 Activities, Skills & So. Much. Fun.
Monday brought crate stacking and grass sledging, with a hearty homemade minestrone soup for lunch (no packets here!). That afternoon, we got stuck into pioneering — building our gate and kitchen area — followed by sizzling chicken fajitas made by the Cubs themselves.
Tuesday was packed with onsite action: airsoft and wall climbing in the morning, ham and cheese quesadillas for lunch, then team games and an epic water fight that left everyone completely soaked and absolutely delighted. Dinner? A Cub classic — spaghetti Bolognese!
29 June – 4 July | A week of adventure, learning, and Cub-powered chaos for Swords 49th Cubs.
This camp was truly something special. From the moment we arrived, the Cubs threw themselves into every challenge and adventure with such spirit, curiosity, and kindness — it honestly made our jobs feel more like a privilege than a task.
---
Day 1-3
🚂 The Journey Begins
On Sunday, our Cubs set off bright and early, travelling by train from Drogheda to Belfast and then onwards to St. Helena Bay. Spirits were high and their rucksacks… let’s just say they were bursting — not with gear, but with sneaked-in goodies and highly questionable “essentials” (tub of Pringles, anyone? 😅).
With our bags safely sent ahead , we enjoyed the scenic train ride and then a solid 15-minute hike to Crawfordsburn Scout Centre — ready to unplug from the world and plug into nature. Tents were pitched with enthusiasm (and only minor tent pole wrangling), and we kicked things off with a Cub-cooked feast of burgers and potatoes.
---
💪 Activities, Skills & So. Much. Fun.
Monday brought crate stacking and grass sledging, with a hearty homemade minestrone soup for lunch (no packets here!). That afternoon, we got stuck into pioneering — building our gate and kitchen area — followed by sizzling chicken fajitas made by the Cubs themselves.
Tuesday was packed with onsite action: airsoft and wall climbing in the morning, ham and cheese quesadillas for lunch, then team games and an epic water fight that left everyone completely soaked and absolutely delighted. Dinner? A Cub classic — spaghetti Bolognese!
Our Beaver Scouts from the 49th and the 136th joined forces for one last action packed day trip before summer break. What better way to spend the hottest day of the year than at Clara Lara with fun, laughter, ice cream and adventure!
49th scouts Swords trip to Lisbon last week was a spectacular adventure! We stayed at 242nd scout den, celebrating with them for their 54th anniversary.
There was ziplining, laser tag, exploring Lisbon city, the beach, hiking in Sintra, paddle boarding, visiting the aquarium, Belem tower and all the sites. Thank you Beatriz for showcasing your home town! We know you were sad to leave but we have made some amazing memories in Paço d’Argos ☀️
There was ziplining, laser tag, exploring Lisbon city, the beach, hiking in Sintra, paddle boarding, visiting the aquarium, Belem tower and all the sites. Thank you Beatriz for showcasing your home town! We know you were sad to leave but we have made some amazing memories in Paço d’Argos ☀️
