Nenagh Men’s Shed was established in 2012 by past chair Pearse Roche, thanks to the generosity of Áras Folláin – supporting physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Starting with only four members, the shed soon became a popular outlet for locals and required a bigger space, so moved to their current site on Ely O’Carroll Place.

Speaking on behalf of the group, current chair and established member Mick White describes the journey that the shed has taken, as well as emphasising his commitment to members:

“It started out as positive means to tackling mental health issues,” he says. “Our members are all very well-established and close to each other. If someone has a personal issue they want to share they do that and if not, then we just enjoy the craic and talk about lighter things.

“It is a very laid-back set up and we like it that way. People get put off when you start labelling things so we don’t need to. All of us in the group know that we can talk about our problems whenever we want and know that it is all kept within the shed.”

Nenagh Men’s Shed turns a helping hand to Tidy Towns and regularly assist St Vincent De Paul. However, the shed’s main mission remains inside its doors, Mick explains.

“My primary concern has always been with the lads in the shed. We look out for each other first and foremost. The ethos of our shed lies with the member’s mental health,” he says.

Health checks carried out by the Irish Heart Foundation, along with an upcoming active living course over the winter months support this. The upcoming course includes healthy cooking and living lessons. This isn’t the only idea in the pipeline, however.

“We are looking forward to working with an upcoming dual diagnosis organisation called Carmha, who deal with mental health and addiction together. We try to incorporate physical and mental health. I like to think that positive mental health is a by-product of coming in here,” Mick says.

The shed is open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 2.30pm for a cup of tea and chat. Please contact Mick on 083-1459742 for membership queries.