Scouts 12 October 2025

Burren Sionnach 2025 🦊

On Friday 10th of October, 5 Scouts and 2 Scouters embarked on the latest Sionnach challenge in the Burren on the borders of counties Clare and Galway.

Sionnach Adventures are full weekends of camping and hill walking, where Scouts are introduced to the great outdoors in a safe and controlled manner. Scouts carry everything the need to get through the weekend, including tents, sleeping bags & mats and all of their food and water. They cover between 15km to 20km hiking, with a mixture of carrying their full kit, and hiking with a lighter backpack, where most the gear is left at a camp.

In attendance from 1st Meath Dunboyne Scouts were:

Isobel Dwyer (Monday Scouts)
Max Williams (Wednesday Scouts)
Ava Carberry (Wednesday Scouts)
Caoimhe Sludds (Wednesday Scouts)
Ali Coone (Wednesday Scouts)
Dermot Walsh (Scouter)
Tony Collins (Section Leader / Scouter)

Alex Betson also participated as part of Peak Patrol, which is for Scouts who wish to go further with their mountain and survival training. They can progress to more challenging adventures and eventually qualify as Sionnach Staff.

In advance of the trip, the Scouts and Leaders travelling were well prepared by our highly experienced leader, Tony Collins, who ensured we all had the correct gear to get through the weekend. The Scouts were also upskilled in their Compass Work and were also taught how to prepare Route Cards to describes in detail the route we would be hiking over the weekend and also ensure everyone was familiar with the Tents that are brought on such weekends.

On Friday evening, we arrived at the meeting point at 7:30pm, in time to register and let the Sionnach Crew check that we had all the correct gear before setting off. Once we received the all clear from the crew, we set off hiking with full kit on our backs and headlamps on our heads, as the sun had long since set by the time we set off walking.

After a bit of adventure in the dark, we made our way into a wide field in the townland of Cappagh, which would be our camp for the weekend. As the first team to arrive at camp, we had plenty of choice to set up for the weekend. After setting up the tents in the dark, the Scouts settled in for preparation for an early start on the Saturday morning.

Saturday morning was dry and clear. This allowed the Scouts to enjoy their hot breakfast and prepare their day packs for the long hike on the day ahead. To begin the day, the Scouts were given a bearing by staff on site and from there on, the route they took was based on the work completed on their Route Cards and how they found the terrain in front of them.

At various check in points along the route, the Scouts were met by members of the Sionnach Team Staff or members of Peak Patrol. At these points they had to check in and out of the point, ensuring all teams complete the course. They were also challenged and educated on various Mountain Skills – Pacing, Exposure, Navigation, Compass Work, Leave No Trace and Equipment.

Hiking across the magnificent Burren landscape brought challenges to all. The area is a National Park comprising of limestone pavement that has eroded over the years to create parallel fissures called grykes and leaving high rock called clints to walk on. These grykes and clints reduce the pace on open terrain, especially when they are covered with grass. On more than one occasion, one of the team found themselves waist deep in a gryke!!

After hiking a ridge for several hours, the Scouts then had loose all the height gained throughout the morning. This left us with a steep 302m height gain up through a steep incline. This allowed the Scouts to practice their bouldering skills on the limestone rock face. After summitting Slieve Carran, the Scouts enjoyed the panoramic views across the Burren landscape. They then descended the long ramp back down towards camp.

After a long 8-hour day, 16km hike on the hills, the Scouts were the third team to arrive back into camp. They then set up their trangias to cook a well-earned curry dinner, followed by a deconstructed banoffee pie!

After dinner, our scouts gathered with a large group of fellow scouts from across the country to spend the evening playing games and swapping stories. This community spirit is an integral part of their scouting experience.

Sunday morning, again started with a clear bright day. The entire camp gathered for the Scouts Own, a reflection for all Scouts and Scouters. The participants in the weekend were then awarded their Sionnach Badges.

After one final hike with check points on the way back to the car park, we on the road home to Dunboyne at 1pm!

The weekend was a huge success, with new skills and new friends made along the way.