A proud week in the Men's Shed

IRISH MEN’S SHEDS SCOOP 2017 AONTAS STAR AWARD

Men’s sheds are spaces which naturally lend themselves to the sharing of skills and knowledge, as men pool their collective life experiences for the good of their sheds and their communities.

While not everyone is suited to academic modes of education, especially after decades away from the classroom, men’s sheds provide a relaxed, informal environment for the learning of new skills and the passing on of a lifetime’s knowledge.

It was this unique aspect of the men’s shed environment that was recognised by the National Adult Learning Organisation at its recent STAR awards ceremony in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

The Irish Men’s Sheds Association was honoured with a STAR award in the category of social inclusion, after a rigorous process of shortlisting and interviews. Afterwards, IMSA chief executive officer Barry Sheridan was delighted to accept the award on behalf of shedders throughout Ireland.

“I’m really pleased to see the sheds honoured in this way. People wouldn’t necessarily think of men’s sheds as spaces of adult learning, but in many ways that’s exactly what they are. It’s men coming together to share skills, to learn and to teach in a really mutual and informal way.

“Some of that learning process would involve really practical things like building buddy benches and bird boxes, but also less obvious things like just learning new ways to relate to other men and to the wider community.

“I’m delighted the National Adult Learning Organisation has recognised those capacities and I’m thrilled to accept this award on behalf of every shed and shedder in Ireland”.

BLESSINGTON MEN’S SHED, CO WICKLOW

It’s award season in Wicklow too, where Blessington Men’s Shed was honoured with Wicklow County Council’s overall Environmental Award for its stunning renovation of the Old Library on the Baltinglass Road.

The building had lain derelict for over 13 years when Blessington Men’s Shed, with the assistance of Blessington Tidy Towns Forum and Wicklow County Council, took it over as their new premises.

Sean Farrington of Blessington Men’s Shed recalls that the building was “in a dreadful state” when the shedders undertook the renovation. “We had to put in boilers, replace the floorboards and repair the electrical cables, as well as painting it inside and out.”

Today, the Old Library is unrecognisable from the derelict husk that stood on the site for well over a decade, but the shedders aren’t quite finished yet.

“We’d love to get permission to put a thatched roof on the building so that it could become the focal point of Blessington itself,” says Sean.

BELTURBET MEN’S SHED, CO CAVAN

Brexit and its implications are hot topics in the border counties, and Belturbet Men’s Shed has found a novel way to illustrate the issue.

Shedder George Morrissey, a local historian, came across the old customs sign that once confronted drivers crossing the border from Co Fermanagh at Aghalane Bridge. “When we found it, the sign was broken in two and in a very dilapidated state,” says George.

Once the sign was refurbished, the men brought it back to its original location on the Aghalane Bridge, where shedder Dessie Aspey gamely dressed as a 1950s Irish customs official for the picture above. Whether this flashback to the hard border of the past becomes a vision of the future is for others to decide – but thanks to Belturbet Men’s Shed, we have some idea of how earlier generations experienced one of the pressing issues of the present day.