“The Den” from Townyard Lane to St.James Terrace

From  humble dwellings the 4^th Port of Dublin Malahide Sea Scouts of the  then Local Association met at various locations  around the village in 1919 including the rere of number: 12 St.James Terrace on Townyard  Lane. Like other towns jotted around the coast, sea scouts were established alongside RN Coastguard Stations. Many of the sea scout groups would have ceased  early in the 1920’s after the War of Independence due to the decommissioning of the RN Coast Guard.

In 1949 with the re-emergence of scouting in Malahide, cubs and scouts now met in St. Andrews School on Church Road, Malahide. The Parish played host to the scouts until 1975. In the intervening years the now established 9^th Port acquired a boat house in November 1971 named “Lee-Ho” and had it moored on Broadmeadow . This was our first owned meeting place.

When the ferry service ceased in 1973 from the sea wall to the island golf club the plot of land owned by the Talbot Estate was gifted to the Sea Scouts. A strong parents and friends committee set about establishing and acquiring permanent premises for the group. This was completed in May 1975 when the group took possession of our new home a wooden prefab building donated to us by the Lyons Group.  The local Malahide Lion’s Club funded the furnishings and for many years the premises was known as the “Lion’s Den” .

As we turned into the eighties membership broke the 350 mark and in June 1983 the Lion’s Den and surrounding buildings were dismantled .The main pre-fab was moved to SAI’s camp site Lough Dan in Co. Wicklow. Plans were now in place to build a permanent brick scout den. While we vacated the site meetings continued with kind permission from the Stafford Family in Malahide Boat Yard. As we turned into the New Year of 1984 we took possession of the new den and the scouts and leaders set about decorating and fitting out the den. Now called “The Den” a plaque was unveiled on launch day in 1985 to mark the occasion of our new premises.

Nearly thirty years later thoughts were put down on paper to look at extending and renovating the present den to serve this generation. In November 2015 builders moved in to commence a 9 month project that would see the den be extended and updated to facilitate our grown community. During the works period the sections will meet at MYC Broadmeadow, St.Sylvesters parish hall, Scoil Iosa and Portmarnock Scout den.

Rooted now in the community for nearly a century we are very grateful to our Volunteer Scouters, Ventures, and Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Friends, Parents and the extended community who have supported us over many years.

K.Rowen