We’re currently researching the history of our Scout Group ahead of our 40th anniversary. We’d like as many of our friends and former members as possible to get in touch with us to share stories and photographs. Please email CaherdavinScouts@gmail.com

The 23^rd Limerick Scout Unit was founded on October 23, 1973 in the area of Caherdavin. The troop was part of the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI). The Christ the King Parish, which was founded three years earlier, was very supportive of the Unit with Parish Priest Fr John Browne acting as the Sponsor. Originally the Unit’s neckerchief was a black and White “Halved” design. This was changed to a green necker with a red border sometime in the late 70s.

The first Scout Leader was Eamonn Fuller. The Scout Troop was originally made up of one Patrol (a small team of eight boys) but within a year it had grown to four Patrols. A Cub Pack was set up in 1974 with a Beaver Colony and Venturer Group started in 1983.

At its height the Unit had had 2 Beaver Colony’s (Chriost Rí and Shannonside), 3 Cub Packs (Clonmacken, Redgate and Thomond), 2 Scout Troops (Caherdavin and Sarsfield) and a Venture Scout Group. Over the years hundreds of boys have passed through our doors and gone on to pursue many interesting career paths such as teachers, solicitiers, gardai, Priests, entertainers, chefs and many more.

Here’s a brief article written in 1994 for the Unit’s 21st anniversary

Unit Milestones

1973

• The Unit is founded

1974

• The first Cub Pack is set up

1977

• Patrol Leaders attend Jamborra 77 in Mt Mellary Waterford
• Chief Scout Visits the Troop’s Camp in Stradbally, Waterford

1980

• The first overseas camp to Chirk Castle, Wales in 1980

1981

• Cubs win the Dom Dowell Trophy, the premier competition for cubs in the Limerick Diocese, for the first time

1982

• The Scout Troop travelled to Laxey in the Isle of Mann

1983

• The first Beaver Colony and Venturer Group set up
• The Scouts qualify for the Melvin Trophy, CBSI’s National Scout Craft Competition, in Larch Hill for the first time

1985

• Portumna Jamboree

1988

• Cathal Galligan and Don Vaughan became the first Venturers in the Unit to achieve the Explorer Belt
• A third Cub Pack (Redgate) was started in September 1988 with John O’Connor as Leader.

1990

• The Polaris Patrol were awarded the National Patrol Award.

1991

• The Acid Patrol win the Cois Sionna Regional Shield for the first time
• The Pink Panther Patrol (the Acid Patrol) win the Melvin Trophy for the first time
• Peter Sheehan, Brian Kenihan, Alan McNamara, Eoin Kingston and Michael McNamara travelled to South Korea for the 17th World Scout Jamboree

1992

• Eoin McMahon, Alan McNamara, Eoin Kingston, Brian Kenihan, Fergal Lynch and Shane Riordan Scouts presented the Chief Scout Award by Paul Ring, Chief Scout of CBSI
• The Scouts become amongst the first in the Country to get a Full Set of Mountain Pursuit Challenge (MPC) badges

1993

• The Unit’s new Scout Hall is officially opened by Chief Scout Joseph Lawlor
• Scouts and Ventures attend the Ballyfin Jamboree

1994

• Six Scouts attend the International Youth Camp in Germany

1995

• Sarsfield Troop travels to Tonbridge in the UK
• Peter Sheehan,John Minogue, John Harrison, Eoin Shinners and Trevor Connoly attend the World Scout Jamboree in the Netherlands

1996

• The unit was visited by Scouts from Tonbridge in the UK.

1997

• A small contingent of scouts went to the Lough Dan Jamboree, Co Wicklow

1999

• Peter Sheehan, John Minogue and John Harrison attend the World Scout Jamboree in Chile

2003

• Unit celebrates its 30th Anniversary by building a float for the St Patrick’s Day Parade.

2004

• Scouting Ireland is formed

2005

• Scouts travel to Zelhof in Austria
• Venture Scout Unit restarted

2006

• Cubs attend Cuboree, the National Cub Jamboree, in Pallaskenry

2008

• Scouts win County Scout Challenge Day
• Ventures travel to Scotland for the Sluaíocht na Sléibhte (SNS)

2011

• The Group begins to implement Scouting Ireland’s ONE Programme, a major overhaul of the youth programme in Irish Scouting. This includes a realignment of the age ranges and the introduction of a Rover Section
• 12 Venture Scouts, Rover Scouts and Scouters travelled to Scotland for an advanced Winter Mountaineering/Ice Climbing Expedition
• The Beaver Colony holds its first ever Overnight event, in the Scout Hall and their first ever camp in Pallaskenry
• Barry Kennedy attended the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in July and August and was then selected to be one of two Irish delegates to the International Peace Camp in Saudi Arabia

2012

• Scouts Andrew O’Neill, Conor Hempenstall and Michael Quigley take part in the first ever Scouting Ireland Crean Challenge Expedition in Iceland.
• Cubs come 10^th in the National Cub Challenge

Unit/Group Leaders

• Eamon Fuller
• Denis Walshe
• Tom Mitchell
• John Giltenan
• Ollie Shinners
• Joe O’Halloran
• Mary O’Connor
• Marretti O’Connor
• Des McKeown

Chief Scout Award Recipients

Eoin McMahon	1991
Alan McNamara	1991	Travel
Eoin Kingston	1991	CBSI promotion posters
Brian Kenihan	1991	Architecture (Ideal Scout hall)
Fergal Lynch	1991	Gold
Shane Riordan	1991	Meteorology
Seamus Hussey	1992
Eamonn Kenihan	1993

Explorer Belt Recipients

Cathal Galligan	1988	Italy
Don Vaughan	1988	Italy
Eamonn Kenihan	1994	Scotland
Philip Stack	1994	Scotland
Sean Sheehan	1994	Scotland
Shane Riordan	1994	Scotland
Trevor Connolly	1996	Wales
Bryan Tobin	1996	Wales
Eoin Shinnors	1997	Slovenia
John Harrison	1997	Slovenia
Padraig O Ruairc	2000	Czech Republic
Joseph Laffen	2001	Italy
Paul McNamara	2001	Italy
Barry Kennedy	2007	Poland

To find out about the history of Scouting in Ireland check out this booklet written for the centenary celebrations in 2008.