Thomond scout centre was founded when in 1985 the Benedictine monks of glenstal abbey invited the scout association of Ireland to use Ballyboreen house and its grounds as a scout centre .The property is situated at the foot of the Sliabh Felim mountains and lies a mere 3 Km from glenstal abbey and the village of murroe.
The scout centre is located 20 Km from Limerick City a 30 minute drive from one of Irelands largest lakes Lough Derg .The centre is also only 60 - 80 minutes from Killarney , Tralee ,The Burren and the breath taking Cliffs of Moher. Therefore the centre offers an ideal location for those wishing to experience Irish heritage at its best
The scout centre consists of a large hostel ,outbuildings which surround a large courtyard. The property also boasts a large sheltered camp field and a ten acre wood which has a small river running through it
Locally there is plenty to do and see as the scout centre lies at the foot of the sliabh felim mountains which are ideal for both day and overnight hiking aswell as wider exploration.
We at the centre do our very best to ensure your stay will be a memorable one for all the right reasons.
If you wish we can help in:
- Organising and booking transport if required.
- Booking any of the activities listed.
- Giving advice on hike routes ,campsites etc..
- We also have maps of the Sliabh Felim mountains available on request.
The hostel which can sleep 32 persons, it consists of two main dormitories holding 12 persons each, and two smaller rooms holding 4 persons each, it has shower and toilet facilities. The large kitchen is fully equipped with cooking utensils, it has two electric ovens, two electric cookers and one gas cooker, fridge and fridge freezer, microwave oven, two large sinks with hot and cold water, ample storage presses, a large table and plenty of work space for preparing food. Delph is supplied for visiting groups. The hostel has a large dining hall with tables and chairs.
There are two large rooms front rooms one with an open fire and one with a stove. The dormitories are heated by storage heaters.
The hostel has a enclosed courtyard with picnic tables and a purpose built campfire circle where all groups staying at Thomond Scout Centre can come together in the evenings for a campfire sing song.
Campsite -top-
The campsite is sheltered by ten acres of woodland with a small river running through it. With plenty of room for scouts wishing to try backwoods cooking, bivvying etc..
As no fires are allowed on the ground we have purpose build alter fires in the campfield also a limited supply of half barrels if you wish to build your own alter fire. There are a limited number of spars available for those wishing to do some pioneering.
A camper’s room with a fridge freezer for groups to store perishable items is also available.
The campsite has a water stand pipe and both male and female toilet and shower facilities.
Activities -top-
A wide range of activites are on offer all within a 30 Km radius of Thomond Scout Centre. Half days, full days and short based activities are to be found. For those wishing to organise their own activities there is plenty to do and see around the Thomond Scout Centre with walk and cycle routes that go on for Km's and Km's around the beautiful Clare Glens and Slieve Felim mountains.
In the activities that are lisited below each one is a different facility and mixing of activities from different pages is not possible unless you wish to book two facilities each activity unless stated can be booked as a half day or full day activity.
Prices are available from the warden apon request. Please note that prices do not include transport to and from the facility .some activites require a deposit before arrival and some require full payment up front.
Short based activities
Swimming, Go-carting, Pitch and Putt.
Activities 1
Paintball.Activities 2
Canoeing, Sailing, Raft Building.
Activities 3
Laser Clays, Pyramid tyre challenge, Pit stop challenge, Orienteering/treasure hunts, Pluse ranger - Laser paintball.
Local Attractions -top-
Hunt museum
The hunt museum exhibits one of Irelands greatest private collections of art and antiques. The collection reflects our celtic past and includes masterworks by Da Vinci, Yeats and Renoir.
Vist the website at: www.huntmuseum.com
King John's Castle
Experience eight hundred yeara of history brought to life through animation and interactive effects. This castle was build between 1200 - 1210 on th orders of King John. The walls of the castle were severely damaged in the Siege of Limerick 1642, the first of five sieges of the city in the 17th century. In 1642, the castle was occupied by Protestants fleeing the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and was besieged by an Irish Confederate force under Garret Barry. Barry had no siege artillery so he undermined the walls of King John's Castle by digging away their foundations. Those inside surrendered just before Barry collapsed the walls. However, such was the damage done to the wall's foundations that a section of them had to be pulled down afterwards. In 1691 the Williamite general Godert de Ginkell surrounded the city and bombarded it, tearing a breach in the walls of English town. A surprise Williamite attack drove the Irish defenders from the earthworks defending Thomond bridge, sending its Irish defenders reeling back towards Limerick. The French defenders of the main gate of the city refused to open it for the fleeing Irish and about 800 of them were cut down or drowned in the river Shannon.
After this point, Patrick Sarsfield ousted the French commanders in Limerick and began negotiations to surrender. He and Ginkel concluded a treaty that promised to; respect the civilian population of Limerick, tolerate the Catholic religion in Ireland, guarantee against the confiscation of Catholic owned land and to allow Sarsfield and the Jacobite army to be transported to France. Limerick surrendered under these terms in October 1691. Sarsfield left Ireland with 10,000 soldiers and 4000 women and children to enter the French service. This journey has became known as the Flight of the Wild Geese. The terms of the Treaty of Limerick were subsequently rejected in the Protestant dominated Irish Parliament.
Vist the website at: www.shannonheritage.com
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
The Castle is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries, and works of art which capture the mood of those times. Today, the castle stands peacefully in delightful grounds. The houses and cottages of the folk park spread out at the foot of its massive walls, much in the way that the cottages and crofts of old would have clustered around its base. We invite you to wander through the castle and marvel at the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country which brings to life a vital part of our Medieval past.
Vist the website at: www.shannonheritage.com
Glenstal Abbey
Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located in Murroe, County Limerick.It is an all boys school. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and Saint Columba. The current Abbot of the monastery is Fr. Christopher Dillon OSB. The Abbey is located in and beside Glenstal Castle, a Normanesque Castle built by the Barrington family. The picturesque grounds include lakes, forests and an old walled, terraced garden which features a "bible garden". The monastery houses a secondary school in its grounds, home to over two hundred students, and a staff base of over fifty people.
Vist the website at: www.glenstal.org
Contact us -top-
James Coughlan
Phone: +353 (0)86 834 2968
E-mail:
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Thomond Scout Centre
