Happy Campers in IRD Duhallow: Irish Girl Guides Have a Wonderful Weekend at IRD

Members of the Irish Girl Guides from the Southwest Region spent four days camping in the James O’Keeffe grounds. Our camp was titled Camp Revive 2024, reviving campcraft skills, and our theme was based on SDGs and 14 and 15 – Life Below Water and Life on Land.

There were one hundred and fifty members camping over the four days and included Brownies (7 – 10), Guides (10 – 14) Senior Branch members over 14 and adult Leaders, who came from Boherbue, Cork City, Carrigtwohill, Cobh, Macroom, Blarney, Dunmanway, Crosshaven, Bandon, Villierstown.

The many activities included in the camp were outdoor cooking, pioneering, learning knots for everyday use and to hoist the flag, a ramble to The Island Woods to study life under water with Tom Ankettell, painting vegetable markers, making scarecrows and planting for Rachel in the IRD garden, camp fires, mini-Olympics and most of all meeting members from all parts of the SW Region and making friends. Despite the many downpours that we experienced every so often, everyone took part wholeheartedly in the activities, no rain was going to stop us enjoying ourselves.

Thanks to IRD Duhallow’s Helen O’Sullivan and everyone in IRD for allowing the Irish Girl Guides to camp on their grounds. The help and support that we received from Helen and her team was a key factor in making our camp a success.

Words by Deirdre Henley.

Photos by Tadhg Curtin, Rhys MacPhail on the Drone, and the Irish Girl Guides.

The youngest campers attending the weekend were Roisin O’Connor and Mia Walsh - Boherbue Unit, here with Irish Girl Guide leader, Mary O’Connor.

As you can see above, the girls got stuck into various activities inside and out. From working in IRD Duhallow’s poly tunnel to outside by the river where angling expert, Tom Anketell gave them an insight into water life.

Sunrise. Sunset. Weather be damned, the girls got on with it anyway!