Kinsale scouts are gearing up for gold in national competition

KINSALE Scouts have secured a place in a prestigious national competition.

The 26th Kinsale Scout group achieved the highest overall score in the recent Cork South County Challenge to win the coveted Gold Standard Award and secure their place in the national finals of Scouting Ireland’s Phoenix Challenge in August.

Eight teams from around the county competed in the qualifying round at Kilcully Scout Campsite, with the eight-strong Kinsale team demonstrating their skills across a range of areas including camp craft, pioneering, cooking, first aid, navigation and camp site hygiene and cleanliness.

Scout leader Jim Grennan says team members Ian Cullinane, Lucyanne Grennan,  Daithi Broderick, Aengus Price, Orna Gibson, Aoife Maloney, Martin Hickey and Oscar Green deserved their victory: ‘There wasn’t much scouting activity during the lockdown, so they didn’t really have an opportunity to work together as a team. Since returning to Scouting, with the help of their leaders Padraig Moloney and Colm O’Connor, they have worked well.  Their diligence and determination paid off, as they not only won the Cork South County Challenge, but also the Spirit of Camp award for their positive attitude.  We are all so proud of them and wish them well in the Phoenix Challenge in August, where they will compete against almost 80 other scouting groups from all over Ireland.’

The group meets every week at Saile Sports and Community and welcomes new members. Contact [email protected]