Dromantine Summer Camp Frequently Asked Questions

Players should bring enough activewear/sports clothing to wear each day during camp. This includes jerseys, t-shirts, shorts, football socks, tracksuit bottoms, jackets and jumpers etc. Dromantine has a grass football pitch on its grounds, so players must bring a separate school bag or sports bag containing football boots, a spare set of clothes, waterproof jacket and a clearly labelled water bottle.

Additional items include toiletries, hand sanitiser, a sleeping bag, and a towel.

We encourage players to bring along any instruments that they play for their stay at camp. We hold a Talent show at the end of the week, allowing players the opportunity to showcase their skills and celebrate together.

Players are not allowed to have sweets, crisps, chocolate or fizzy drinks etc in their rooms and therefore should not pack these items. Players will have breakfast, lunch and dinner at Camp along with the opportunity to visit our tuck shop to purchase snacks and treats twice a day.

Camp merchandise will be available to pre order before camp. This will include a Dromantine Summer Camp jersey and a halfzip. A drawstring bag and a reusable water bottle will also be available to purchase at registration. Keep an eye on our socials for updates about this!

There are changes with regards to room allocation in 2024. Allocations will happen after initial registration. A little after registration, when your child has a confirmed spot, we will send out a form asking for the name of one other child who they would like to share with. This will need to have been agreed with the other parent/guardian. The process of this will be further explained at the time. Initially, there will only be rooms of two. This is subject to change (to 4 or 6; even numbers) but at the minute it is a health and safety requirement. If your child is coming to camp on their own, we can pair them up with another individual of similar age to ensure they are not alone. Once rooms are allocated there will be no swapping of rooms.

We will send out a payment link directly to your inbox following your initial registration. This payment link will not be sent out until April onwards and is the preferred method of payment. However if necessary, on each Sunday during registration there will be an option to pay with cash or card.

All players should arrive at Dromantine for registration at 3pm on Sunday. This allows the students time to check all players into Camp before the week commences. If you can not arrive at this time, you must contact us prior to confirm your child’s attendance at Camp.

Yes! Once a week sells out, we will open a waiting list which will be on the same page as registration. The waiting list will work on a first come first served basis.

We require players to hand in their phones during Registration. Each phone will be labelled with a name and safely stored during the week. Players will receive their phones twice (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) for half an hour, where they can call their parents or guardians. Should a Player need to make contact with home outside of these times they can ask a Student at any time. Likewise, we have a camp phone that parents or guardians may ring any time during the week. At the end of the week, phones will be handed back before players depart from camp. Dromantine does not take any responsibility for the loss or damage of phones during the week.

We are very mindful that some players may experience homesickness whilst at camp. If students notice a player is not settling or enjoying their time, we will be extra attentive to help them settle and reassure the child, helping in any way we can. We inform the parents/guardians and keep them updated. We hate to see any player leave camp early, so managers and students will do their best to ensure this is the last resort. However, if a player still wishes to leave, a parent/guardian will be able to collect them early from camp. We cannot offer a refund if a child leaves early.

Each day players will participate in team sports e.g. Basketball, Gaelic, Soccer, Rounders, Racquetball, Tennis and Table Tennis etc. We incorporate a Faith element daily, as players will either attend mass or reflect in a spiritual way. Players will get the opportunity to learn about the missions in Africa through presentations from Friends of Africa representatives who have volunteered in partnering countries. Later in the week players will participate in a Talent show with their team. This is also an opportunity for players to showcase any individual talents they may have such as singing, telling jokes or playing the spoons (no talent goes unrecognised). Friday is a day of celebrating the success of each team with a Camp presentation. This is followed by mass attended by players’ family members before departing camp for another year. Full details on the what happens during camp can be found on our Camp Programme page.

A WhatsApp groupchat will be made for the parents, for each week of camp. Regular updates will be sent in by a student at camp, along with photos taken each day. Our Instagram page will also have multiple updates each day, during the weeks of camp.

Students are the leaders of the camp. Each week has a designated team of students who run all activities and ensure everyone is having an enjoyable time. One student will lead the camp each week and they are referred to as the Big Chief. Each student has experience in camp from years of attending as a player/manager or has other youth work experience, and so understands how to help and guide each player towards having a successful, fun filled week.

All Students will complete a Child Protection and Safeguarding training prior to camp commencing. We have a Child Protection Officer designated to Camp alongside a Health and Safety Officer who is fully trained in First Aid.

The student team for each week of camp have designated roles which ensure the schedule is fully adhered to and all players are having an enjoyable and memorable experience. The Big Chief is the leader of the group of students each week at camp. The remaining students are given roles that cover Sport, Shop, Liturgy, Talent, Housework, Finance and Health and Safety.

Managers are allocated to a team of 14 players, each team are given a minimum of 2 managers. They’re aged 17+ and volunteer a week of their summer to supervise, aid and overall help the smooth running of the camp. Each manager has either grown up attending camp as a player or has experience in other youth work and thus understands how to help and guide each player in their team towards having a successful fun filled week.

All Managers will complete a Child Protection and Safeguarding training before camp commences. Managers are also fully vetted and go through an application process before selection. Dromantine has a Child Protection Officer designated to Camp alongside a Student acting as Health and Safety Officer who is also fully trained in First Aid.

Managers stay in a separate area from players within the Dromantine grounds, where they will have access to full facilities including their own kitchen area.

Throughout the year Dromantine Conference Centre caters for thousands of people who visit for meetings, conferences and retreats. Each room has an ensuite comprising of a toilet, sink and shower. Also throughout the grounds, there are accessible toilets.

Dromantine is a large location that has many different facilities to conduct the various activities and sports at Camp. For Sports, there is a full-size pitch and a smaller 5-aside pitch where Soccer, Gaelic and Rounders take place. There are also two Basketball courts, a Tennis court, a Racquetball wall and a Games room (with Pool and Table Tennis tables). Some activities are also held indoors in the Main hall, such as the Talent show, Quiz night and more.

We will make the Kitchen staff aware of any dietary requirements or allergies a player may have and cater for this specifically. Please ensure any dietary requirements are mentioned during initial registration.

We ensure all players are well fed throughout the day, they receive wonderful wholesome meals from the Kitchen staff at Dromantine who provide Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each day.

During registration on Sunday at the beginning of a camp, Parents/Guardians can deposit money into the camp bank for players to use at the Camp’s tuck shop. The tuck shop offers variety of sweet treats and refreshments that players can purchase. It is open twice a day; once after Lunch and again in the evening before Movies, Quiz Night and the Talent Show.