It is always a good sign when you visit a group and everybody is joking and laughing. The minute you enter, sit down and have a cup of tea with the men around their shed table, you can feel the sense of camaraderie.

“So, what have you all learned since joining the shed?” was one of the first questions I asked.

“You learn to get good at arguing,” was the quick response. Laughter quickly ensued.

This early engagement set the tone for what these sheds are all about – and Castlebar is no different.

Just like the sheds around the country, on the surface the shed is a workshop for men to develop their skills in different trades, but when you delve deeper it is about so much more.

“The idea of the men’s shed is so that a guy like me, retired and on my own, can get out of the house for a few hours. Someplace to go rather than the pub.” This sentiment from Iarla Mongey, a member of the shed, summed up the shed perfectly.

Beginning in 2011, the Castlebar shed has 40 members “that come and go”. The workshop is busy and while woodwork and metalwork are the main activities in the shed, a 14-man strong choir offers variation. The shed has trips away, including a meeting with President Higgins, cooking classes, art, pottery and carpentry to name just a few.

The shed relies on donations from the public, as well as funding from the HSE and South West Mayo Development Company. The idea is to promote mental health in men. After meeting with the committee, great emphasis was put on the future of the Castlebar Men’s Shed and it’s a future that seems very bright.

Castlebar Men’s Shed is located at The Workshop, GMIT Campus, Old Westport Road, Castlebar. It is open Mon-Fri from 9.30am-5.30pm, and Saturday 9.30am-2pm. Contact 085-152 5367 or email castlebarmensshed@gmail.com for more details.