Men's sheds: a busy summer for sheds

Summer in the shed

After a slightly tepid start, summer is unfurling its golden wing over the whole island. Sheds the length and breadth of Ireland are venturing beyond their four walls, undertaking outdoor community and horticultural projects and enjoying the beauty of an Irish summer in full bloom.

A recent survey revealed that 56.25% of Irish sheds engage in gardening or horticultural work, a statistic that gives the lie to the old stereotype of the dingy workshop awash with sawdust.

At this time of year, men’s shed members are more likely to be found with trowel and rake in hand, applying their green fingers to polytunnels and raised beds, or hosting and stewarding community fetes and fairs.

In Co Kerry, the formidable KC Men’s Shed, which serves Castlemaine, Keel, Inch and beyond, launched a pioneering “Nine Gardens Open Day”, which took place on 7 July. Under the expert tutelage of Martin Greenwood, the driving force behind the shed and a former participant in RTÉ’s Super Garden, the Kerrymen organised the event as an innovative means of raising funds for their ever-enterprising shed.

A modest admission fee of just €10 got participants entry to all nine stunning gardens, as well as cake, refreshments and a route map.

From the Kingdom to the Royal County, where Ratoath Men’s Shed held its annual summer barbecue. Well attended by members of the community, the mere fact that this event has become a cornerstone of the summer programme in the Meath town attests to the shed’s esteemed position in its locality.

Waterford Estuary Men’s Shed, Co Waterford

Aside from summer fun in the sun, another growth area amongst men’s sheds in 2019 has been the development of inter-generational links. Men’s sheds are vast reservoirs of experience, expertise and historical memory; the opportunity to pass on this knowledge to the next generation is one that many shed members cherish.

In that spirit, the members of Waterford Estuary Men’s Shed completed a project of unique historical value in conjunction with their local National School, Faithlegg NS. Ingenious in its simplicity, and its ability to connect students with their history, the project saw members of Waterford Estuary Men’s Shed restore two vintage school-desks to their original condition.

The desks, much deteriorated since their heyday, were donated to the shed by Faithlegg NS caretaker Jimmy Duffin, via former pupil Ken O’Regan. With the desks in poor condition and affected by woodworm, shed members swiftly got to work on the long and arduous task of restoration.

Beneath the able hands of the shed, decades of disuse were swiftly reversed as the desks regained their former lustre. The desks became touchstones of memory, sparking fond (and not-so-fond) reminiscences amongst the shed members – many of them former pupils of Faithlegg NS.

Inkwells and brass sliders – iconic features of the classroom environment in days past, but now thin on the ground – were sourced from Killoe Men’s Shed, Co Longford, in an admirable display of cross-shed co-operation.

While, in their original function, the desks were mundane, everyday objects which propped up many the bored and distracted pupil, the passage of time has made them genuine curios of obvious historical value. The desks have now been donated to Faithlegg NS, proudly on display in the school’s hallway as conversation pieces.

Athy Community Men’s Shed, Co Kildare

Finally, a word of congratulation for Athy Community Men’s Shed, who were mentioned in despatches at the 2019 Pride of Place Awards. The shed’s “high-rise insect hotel” – complete with library allowing children to read to the insects – was a key feature in the nomination of Ardrew Meadows Housing Estate.