Every year on the last Wednesday of January the Troop celebrate the “Troop Birthday Party” which includes their annual awards ceremony.

The winners of this year’s awards are as follows:

Sailor of the Year: Euan Burke
Oarsman of the Year: Joseph McLochlainn
Hiker of the Year: Jamie Wilson
Kayaker of the Year: Tadhg Geraghty
Seaman of the Year: Theo Allen
Scout of the Year: Patrick Harrold

Special congratulations to Evan Hopkins who was voted Leader of the Year by the troop, which was awarded in absentia.

The 2018 Troop Photo can be seen below.

Check out the picture of the Troop celebrating their 8th Anniversary (35 years ago!) below, recognise any faces?

Brian Colgan 2018

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The route traverses the spine of the Wicklow Mountains running South from the small townland of Knockanarrigan to North towards Enniskerry, including some of the highest peaks in the region such as Lugnaquilla (925m), Mullaghcleevaun (849m), Toneelagee (817m) and Camenabologue (758m) totaling to approximately 65km over the 3 days.

Well done all and to young Leader Nathan Greene for coordinating this years expedition.

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For the Neala Troop this years Expo was to Austria . Planning began back in late 2015 when each watch was given a country to explore and report back to the troop why their choice would be best for Annual Expo 2016.

So it was to be Pfadfinderdorf (Scout Centre) Zellhof ,Mattsee, Austria about 20 kms north of Salzburg. The watch leaders set about planning the programme ,which would blow the socks off the scouts for the duration of the camp.

In the meantime ,flights had to be booked,camping equipment planned ,followed by budgets , cash flow,menus , and day to day camp activities.

Flying enroute via Munich , was followed by a two and half hour coach journey across the border from Germany into Austria. After camp set up and settling in , daily activities commenced straight away .The camp site is situated among very green rolling hills of  eastern  Austria among clusters of forests  and with a very big back drop of high alpine mountains freckled with snow ,stretching for miles.

Every day on camp was different from cycling hikes ,to campcraft,outdoor cooking and barbecues to canoeing ,exploring mines,journeying to a waterpark,seeing a ancient celtic settlement,toboggan down an alpine mountain,and a visit to Salzburg the famous city of Mozart and  the Von Trapp family.

One of the daily duties of duty watch every day was collecting the fresh milk from the local farmer.An opportunity for the scouts  to see the workings of a dairy farm.

All this was only possible because the watch leaders and volunteer scouters who gave their time so generously by putting in many hours of preparation.Thanks again to all again for making this another very successful Annual Expo. in 2016.

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Several Ventures and Leaders completed the ISA Coastal Navigation for Small Boats this weekend at our temporary accommodation during our building work @Malahide Marina.
Participants learned how to read a nautical chart and worked through tide tables, magnetic bearings and position fixing (via plenty of coffee!) to be able to plot a safe course to steer.
We look forward to putting these skills into practice in the coming weeks are we start to launch the boats for 2016!

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Group Leader Colin Lynch leads the crews at Launch Day

When the boats come out of the water for the season it always seems months away before launch day comes around again. It came a little earlier this year. Passing the boat deck most evenings you would either smell the work that had been done or witness the hard grafting by all the scouts whether it was making small repairs, lots of  sanding , varnishing and finally anti-fouling .

Finally on Saturday afternoon  the crews gathered ,joined by  the Beavers , Cubs, Families  ,Friends and our Parish Clergy  Rev. Dr. Norman Gamble and Father Frank Reburn to celebrate and  bless the launching of all our craft for this year’s coming season .

Group leader Colin Lynch welcomed our guests and all present to celebrate the start of a new boating season at the Malahide Sea Scout group. After official proceedings Mr. Tommy Taylor a Life Honourary Member of the group went about deciding which section had proved to be this year’s winners in the Tommy Taylor boat maintenance, which went to the Friday nights section.  However congratulations went to all sections who took part in boat maintenance for this season.  Boatmaster Colum McCaffrey expressed his delight with the cooperation from all sections in making the date in March possible and wished all for a safe and active season on the water.

Beavers and cubs were treated with trips on the powerboats and the barbeque made possible by the scouts. Also in attendance were our friends from the Howth Coastguard Unit.

Group Leader Colin Lynch,makes a presentation to Rev. Dr. Gamble and Fr. Reburn.

A final official duty by our Group Leader Colin Lynch was to invest Father Frank Reburn into the group as our Chaplain. Father Frank had been previously a member of a Sea Scout group back in the nineties in Wicklow town. A special thanks and presentations were made too both Rev. Dr. Gamble and Fr. Reburn. Rev. Gamble has being officiating at our launches for many years and the group is ever grateful to St. Andrews Parish who in the past acted as our sponsors for over 27 years.

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Recipitants of Chief Scouts Award from the Cub Scouts section

Group Leader of Malahide Sea Scouts Colin Lynch bestowed rare honour of Honorary Life Membership of the Group on Eileen Butterly in recognition of her and her family’s contribution to Scouting in Malahide over many years.

Eileen was a Cub Leader in the Group for 11 years, joining in 1975, and taking over from Anne Greenwood as Cub Scout Leader of the Tuesdaypack 3 years later. What she probably did not know then was that she was the first of many members of her Family to share their skills and knowledge with this Great Group.

Pat and Aoife Moyne

All five of her children have been involved in scouts in Malahide. Her Sons Paul Ciaran and John all served as leaders over the years as have her daughters Karen and Joanne. four of whom are still active in the Group today. Sixteen of her Grandchildren are currently members of the Group and eleven of them were present on the night to see their Grandmother receive the award.

Another family affair was the prestigious award of A Gold Merit Award for “leadership of the most inspiring kind”, to long serving Beaver Scout Leader Pat Moyne and A Chief Scouts Commendation for services to Scouting to his Daughter Aoife.

A Silver Merit is awarded for “exceptional & notable service” was presented to Ivan Barrett for leading the Kayaking Team in the Group.

Silver Award to Ivan Barrett

Bronze Merit Awards were made to John Butterly, Niall Rock, Paul McEvoy and James Doyle. Chief Scouts Commendations were presented to Aoife Moyne and Robert McKernan,

40 year service award – Kevin Rowan

Numerous Service Awards were presented by County Commissioner Rosanne Whelan the most outstanding of which was to Group Chairman Kevin Rowan for Forty Years’ Service to the Malahide Group. Fifteen year Service awards were presented to Ivan Barrett Elaine Dunne and Lo Klinkenbergh.Ten year Service awards were presented to Beaver Leader Alice Geraghty and Aideen Abbott.Five year service awards were presented to Beaver Leaders Edward O’Donnell and Colin Lynch. Cub Leaders John Butterly, Niall Rock, Greg Venner, Derek Ennis, Robert McKernan, Leigh Hazzard Joan Desmond and Blaithín McCaffery. Scout Leaders Kate O’Farrell , Clodagh Somers ,John Kenny, Stephen O’Reilly, Rob McGrath and Gerard Duffy.

In conclusion the County Commissioner congratulated all of the recipients of the awards and praised he Group for the contribution that it makes to the young people in the community.

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The aim of the course is to provide the necessary skill to navigate a boat by day or night in familiar waters.
The syllabus includes weather, tides, safety, buoyage, plotting, bearings and passage planning.

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The boating course is for scouts and young leaders who plan to train scout crews this coming boating season. Aimed at scouts who are 15 and over, it gives them the opportunity to learn how to handle a multi oared rowing boat, like the East Coast Skiff. A 23 foot clinker built wooden craft, pointed at boat ends has a deep tradition along the East Coast of Ireland. The skiff developed from a previous craft called a Hobblers Skiff, which was persons who plied their trade as unlicensed pilots in and out of Dublin Bay. Sometimes under dangerous conditions, bad weather or in total darkness Hobblers would race out of Dublin Port when a merchant ship came over the horizon. The first crew to throw a line would gain the work in offloading the vessel.

The course participants learn a wide range of nautical skills, including, water safety, use of emergency equipment, man overboard drill, and practical boating skills. The course offers more as the coxswain (scout) is trained to manage a crew, take charge of their welfare, work in a team and lead a team.

The theory part of the course will conclude in middle of March after participants have completed a written assessment. The practical end of the course will be completed over a weekend after boats have been launched for the season.

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We welcomed today our nearest neighbour Donabate Sea Scouts and from County Wexford New Ross Sea Scouts who made the 350 km round trip. There were full entries for all the age ranges from under 13’s to over 18’s. A special team from the Malahide cub section all aged 10 and cousins entered the under 13’s and took a placing and a prize.

All races were made up of Teams of 3. The races were run in relay, 1^st scout swam 80 metres in open sea against a rising tide, 2nd scout ran 800 metres and finally 3^rd scout kayaked 800 metres. For the finale race, “Iron Man” and “Iron Lady” 17 participants partook challenging themselves to all three disciplines.

The group’s leaders , family and friends extend their thanks to the leaders of the Malahide Wednesday night troop for organising a great and fun day. To Skipper Brian Colgan, QM Colum Mc Caffrey and the preparation team Jordan Killen ,Bill Abbott and their team, many thanks. Congratulations to Hannah Mc Mahon of Skerries Sea Scouts who took the “Iron Lady” trophy and Thomas Moore Dollymount Sea Scouts who took the “Iron Man” trophy.

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