Moate Men’s Shed in Co Westmeath was founded three years ago by Peter Dolan, John Brennan and Johnny Doran. Speaking on behalf of Moate Men’s Shed, chair John Brennan says the shed was established as a social outlet for many men in the local community.

As discussions around mental health become more prevalent, John and his group look forward to welcoming some new initiatives into their shed, which allow members to open up about their struggles and strains.

After losing his own beloved wife, John looked for a positive outlet for his grief and loss. And so Moate Men’s Shed was established. “I saw it as a sort of coping mechanism, and it still is in a way,” John reflects. Acknowledging that such grief is not easy to speak about, John respects the often reserved nature of others. “The very nature of the beast is to not talk. I understand that. We try to have a bit of banter here and if, over a period of time, people decide to talk about mental health struggles, then we are here.”

This patient and inclusive quality is the hallmark of Moate Men’s Shed, which endeavours to cater for all its members. Activities range from outdoors to indoors, with both a museum and art workshop in place. Gardening has also proven popular among the troop, who have landscaped the site’s back yard. In recent times Moate Men’s Shed completed a wood project, building an old-style train from scratch.

Partaking in the town’s St Patrick’s Day parade is a winning choice for the group, whose float entry has won on three separate occasions. Their efforts are very much for the benefit of the local community, as they work alongside the Tidy Towns committee, filling flower boxes and restoring old but gold items for the middle of the town.

The close-knit bunch of 18 is comprised of men from the age of 60 to 80-something. The group enjoys weekly meetings every Tuesday and Thursday, from 2pm to 4pm.

Check out Moate Men’s Shed on Facebook to find out more.