Ballinteer Men’s Shed, Dublin 16
Little has been heard in recent years of the much-vaunted Decade of Centenaries. The vigorous and contentious public debates which marked the start of the decade have largely petered out. In their place, a form of commemoration fatigue appears to have set in.
But away from the din which characterised those initial debates, serious historical work continues. In towns and villages throughout Ireland, the far-reaching legacy of those years continues to be reflected upon.
The Dublin of 1918 was a city poised on the precipice of history. Still recovering from the convulsions of the Lockout and the Rising, revolutionary ferment continued below the surface. Thousands upon thousands of Dublin men were still clinging precariously to life in the trenches of France, while the Spanish flu swept through the capital from July 1918, killing tens of thousands.
Historian Donal Fallon, familiar to most from Newstalk’s Hidden Histories and RTÉ’s National Treasures, is a noted expert on this period of Dublin’s history.
In mid-August, Donal was kind enough to lead Ballinteer Men’s Shed on a walking tour of Dublin, themed around life in the capital a century ago. The walk was undertaken by Donal in his capacity as a Dublin City Council tour guide.
There was a surprise in store for the shed members, as Dublin’s first citizen “gatecrashed” the event. When the tour reached Dawson Street’s Mansion House, the Lord Mayor himself emerged from his official residence to greet the members.
Councillor Niall Ring paused for a photograph beneath the building’s iconic metal portico (reputedly built to ensure that Queen Victoria wasn’t rained upon while awaiting her carriage).
The Lord Mayor issued an open invitation for the shed members to tour his historic residence, and both the IMSA and Ballinteer Men’s Shed would like to thank Donal Fallon and Cllr Ring for their support and hospitality.
Drogheda Men’s Shed, Co Louth
Fleadh Cheoil is one of the highlights of the cultural calendar. An annual festival of traditional music and song organised by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, this year’s event saw hordes of culture vultures descend upon the Co Louth town.
As ever in modern Ireland, the town’s shed was central to proceedings. Visitors saw, and marvelled at, a range of oversized instruments lovingly crafted by the shed members early in 2018, and painted by local schoolchildren in a unique collaborative project.
Oversized instruments created by Drogheda Men's Shed for the 2018 Fleadh.
The shed also threw its doors open to the general public for the duration of the Fleadh, meeting with an excellent and enthusiastic response.
“The buzz is exceptional around the town,” says Liam Reynolds of Drogheda Men’s Shed, in the midst of Fleadh Fever. “There’s so much activity and a great atmosphere. We’ve had a good few visitors and I think it’s fair to say they were impressed with the shed.”
So impressed, in fact, was Labrhás Ó Murchú, Ard Stiúrthóir of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, that he paid a personal visit to the shed to thank the members for their contribution to this year’s festival.
Portaferry Men’s Shed, Co Down
Portaferry Men’s Shed enjoys one of the most picturesque settings for any shed in Ireland. The shed’s latest visitor, however, has seen better days. Meet Gladys, the three-wheel Piaggio van donated to the shed as a restoration project. With limited funds, the shed is looking for donations of parts, wheels and other essentials to restore Gladys to her prime. John Conlan describes the old lady as “effectively a Vespa 50cc with a cab and rear-loading capacity”. CL
Contact the Irish Men’s Sheds Association on turlough@menssheds.ie or 01-8916150 if you can help.
Ballinteer Men’s Shed, Dublin 16
Little has been heard in recent years of the much-vaunted Decade of Centenaries. The vigorous and contentious public debates which marked the start of the decade have largely petered out. In their place, a form of commemoration fatigue appears to have set in.
But away from the din which characterised those initial debates, serious historical work continues. In towns and villages throughout Ireland, the far-reaching legacy of those years continues to be reflected upon.
The Dublin of 1918 was a city poised on the precipice of history. Still recovering from the convulsions of the Lockout and the Rising, revolutionary ferment continued below the surface. Thousands upon thousands of Dublin men were still clinging precariously to life in the trenches of France, while the Spanish flu swept through the capital from July 1918, killing tens of thousands.
Historian Donal Fallon, familiar to most from Newstalk’s Hidden Histories and RTÉ’s National Treasures, is a noted expert on this period of Dublin’s history.
In mid-August, Donal was kind enough to lead Ballinteer Men’s Shed on a walking tour of Dublin, themed around life in the capital a century ago. The walk was undertaken by Donal in his capacity as a Dublin City Council tour guide.
There was a surprise in store for the shed members, as Dublin’s first citizen “gatecrashed” the event. When the tour reached Dawson Street’s Mansion House, the Lord Mayor himself emerged from his official residence to greet the members.
Councillor Niall Ring paused for a photograph beneath the building’s iconic metal portico (reputedly built to ensure that Queen Victoria wasn’t rained upon while awaiting her carriage).
The Lord Mayor issued an open invitation for the shed members to tour his historic residence, and both the IMSA and Ballinteer Men’s Shed would like to thank Donal Fallon and Cllr Ring for their support and hospitality.
Drogheda Men’s Shed, Co Louth
Fleadh Cheoil is one of the highlights of the cultural calendar. An annual festival of traditional music and song organised by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, this year’s event saw hordes of culture vultures descend upon the Co Louth town.
As ever in modern Ireland, the town’s shed was central to proceedings. Visitors saw, and marvelled at, a range of oversized instruments lovingly crafted by the shed members early in 2018, and painted by local schoolchildren in a unique collaborative project.
Oversized instruments created by Drogheda Men's Shed for the 2018 Fleadh.
The shed also threw its doors open to the general public for the duration of the Fleadh, meeting with an excellent and enthusiastic response.
“The buzz is exceptional around the town,” says Liam Reynolds of Drogheda Men’s Shed, in the midst of Fleadh Fever. “There’s so much activity and a great atmosphere. We’ve had a good few visitors and I think it’s fair to say they were impressed with the shed.”
So impressed, in fact, was Labrhás Ó Murchú, Ard Stiúrthóir of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, that he paid a personal visit to the shed to thank the members for their contribution to this year’s festival.
Portaferry Men’s Shed, Co Down
Portaferry Men’s Shed enjoys one of the most picturesque settings for any shed in Ireland. The shed’s latest visitor, however, has seen better days. Meet Gladys, the three-wheel Piaggio van donated to the shed as a restoration project. With limited funds, the shed is looking for donations of parts, wheels and other essentials to restore Gladys to her prime. John Conlan describes the old lady as “effectively a Vespa 50cc with a cab and rear-loading capacity”. CL
Contact the Irish Men’s Sheds Association on turlough@menssheds.ie or 01-8916150 if you can help.
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