Irish Country Living caught up with John Higgins of Castlepollard Men’s Shed in Co Westmeath. The group prides itself on reintroducing men to the local community.

John said: “Fx ive local men got together and decided to set up the shed back in 2016, with help from Westmeath County Council, the HSE and National Lottery funding. Initially getting a premises was a problem, but fortunately local man Eugene O’Neill was able to give us a shed.” As the number of members grew the men needed to upscale, which was made possible by the kind donation of the Old Castlepollard Primary School to the group by the county council in 2017.

The old school was in a bad state of repair and every Tuesday afternoon the men would get together to work on their new building. “A lot of our members are retired carpenters so this came in very handy while renovating the old school. Other members were previously metal workers and Gardaí so we have a wide range of abilities within the group. Many of the members were educated in the school back in the day so it’s nice to see the building get a second life.”

The men received a setback when their roof began to leak a few months back but they have plans to put new tiles down in the near future. The facilities available in the shed include a kitchen, office, workshop and recreational room. Kevin O’Reilly, a founding member of the shed, installed a French boules court which the men use during the summer months.

“The shed has had a huge impact on the men, for the better,” says John. “A lot of the lads had nothing to do and this was a great way to re-introduce them to the community. We hear wives asking when the shed is open to get the men back out and about. The best aspect of the group for me is walking in on a Tuesday evening and seeing 20 men sitting around a table having a great chat over a pot of tea.”

The shed is open every Tuesday from 2-5pm and anyone interested in joining is asked to contact John Higgins on 086 828 3343. New members are always welcome.