Boots on the ground in Kilcully

Just two weeks after the campsite was handed over to the Diocesan Council, Kilcully hosted the 1970 Diocesan Shield Competition.

Patrols from across Cork gathered on the new campsite to put their Scouting skills into practice. The photograph of the flag break gives a wonderful view of Kilcully in its earliest days as a Scout campsite, with rows of traditional canvas tents and Kilcully House clearly visible in the background.

Pioneering was an important part of Scoutcraft, and the top photograph shows an impressive ornamental gateway constructed by the 17th Cork (Blackrock) during the competition.

These photographs capture Kilcully doing what it was purchased to do — bringing Scouts together for camping, skills, competition and friendship.