“It is a place of safety for a lot of men in the area. For men with ‘10’ kids, you can sit down and have a chat before you go home to the helter skelter again. For men who are single or retired, it is a way to get out and about and have the banter with the lads,” says Mike Edwards, secretary of the Roscrea branch.

A similar sentiment is echoed by its treasurer, Gerard Mc Coy, who believes greatly in the value of the shed in the community.

“I am a single man. I live at home with my parents and the shed is a great way for me to get out and about with the lads.”

From a mental health point, the men concede that the shed is a great way for the men to escape – but it’s not limited just to men.

“We have a woman’s shed upstairs that runs also. We oversee it and fund it and it has turned out to be a success,” Mike explains.

“It’s funny, we come here to get away from woman and here we are facilitating a woman’s shed,” he jokes.

The shed, which was founded in 2014, has been heavily involved in voluntary driven community projects since and this has been the fulcrum to many of its activities.

“We work with Tidy Towns and clean the streets for free. We arrange courses. We are involved in furniture restoration and also make products from recycled timber, which are then used in the community for wildlife programmes.” Edwards said.

The group also provides free administration support, as well as helping set up the Darkness into Light campaign for Pieta House, a suicide awareness campaign, which corresponds perfectly with the message of positive mental health that the Men’s Shed convey.

The shed, which has a membership of about 20 (with 10-12 core members), fund themselves, which is proving difficult, according to Edwards.

“We receive no funding from the HSE. We fund ourselves, which is challenging.”

The importance on the shed is not lost on Mike or Gerard. Both their personal stories mean they benefit no end from the shed’s activities.

“There is never a dull moment. I have made friends here and got opportunities out of joining the Shed than I never would have got otherwise. So have others.”

The shed in Roscrea runs three days a week, from Tuesday to Thursday. Call 087-393 2011 for more information.