Established approximately one year ago, Ballaghaderreen Men’s Shed in Co Roscommon is well-manned with the guidance and support of four dedicated, establishing members; Pat Towey, Cyril O’Connor, Tom Colleran and Martin Tynan. Speaking on behalf of the shed, PRO Martin describes the inclusive environment that the team consistently maintain.

“We celebrated the shed’s first anniversary only a couple of weeks ago, but up until very recently we had no fixed place to call our shed. We met at night time at the local community centre, until we could afford our own space. Thanks to the generosity of the local Ballaghaderreen people, we formally moved into our own premises three weeks ago.”

Formerly a garage and then a supermarket warehouse, the two-storey building is still under development, with a heating system being installed in the coming weeks. This will allow the shed to be open during daylight, so members can work on woodwork and repair projects.

Like many rural towns across the country, Ballaghaderreen’s local amenities are under threat to closure and this has had a detrimental effect on many, Martin explains:

“It is a rural area and the shop, post office and pub are almost a thing of the past. Without those social meeting points, rural isolation is really kicking in. People used to meet when collecting their pensions or buying their groceries for a chat. It is having a massive effect on people in our town and that is why we decided to create a new social spot.”

With over 30 members, Ballaghaderreen Men’s Shed is proud that many of their members were born outside of Ireland and are delighted to welcome their values and interests. Describing it as a multicultural group, Martin and co would be delighted to welcome any new member, from near and far. Call to Kenny & Staunton old garage, off the square, to see the newly refurbished Men’s Shed.

For membership queries contact Martin Tynan on 087 8143441, or see Ballaghaderreen Men’s Shed on Facebook.