Newport Men's Shed seeks a permanent home

Overcoming the effects that isolation, loneliness, depression and despair can have on the lives of many men is the ultimate challenge for the Men’s Shed movement, which is spreading across the country.

Officers and members of up and running centres at Roscrea, Thurles and Cahir travelled to Newport recently to

offer encouragement, advice and guidance to a local group intent on joining the growing movement. Under the chairmanship of Conrad Slater, the inaugural meeting of the Mulcair Men’s Shed at the Comunity Centre, Newport, was also attended by community and local organisation representatives and several interested in becoming part of the new centre as a means of comradeship and improved quality of life.

Neil Geurin, chairman of Roscrea Men’s Shed, told the meeting that feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can be widespread, can be overcome through the support, comradeship, and engagement in a range of activities of interest which Men’s Sheds offer. He explained that the Men’s Shed is owned by the members, who decide on the operation of the unit and the activities in which they become involved.

“It is all about social inclusion and sometimes there is more time given to drinking tea than anything else, but the members have the opportunity to discuss their problems, which men are generally not good at, and they have someone to contact if they need help and that means a lot,” he explained.

Conrad Slater, Chairman, explained that the idea of the Men’s Shed is to provide a friendly place of welcome for men to gather together cordially.

“These men can involve themselves in a variety of mutually agreed activities sharing interest and hobbies, honing old skills and learning new ones. The men have ownership of the Shed and have a say in all the activities that are undertaken,” he said. He added: “The men’s aim is to work towards one another’s wellbeing and general good of society. The shed will provide an inexpensive, friendly social outlet for all the men of the area”.

The group are seeking a vacant space in the area at which they can meet and organise their activities and would be grateful to anyone who can offer facilities, even on a temporary basis. They are scheduled to commence shortly at a temporary premises at Abington Enterprise Centre while efforts continue to find suitable accommodation in the Newport area.

More details on the Mulcair Men’s Shed can be had by contacting mulcairmenshed@gmail.com