Graiguenamanagh Men’s Shed in Co Kilkenny celebrated its first birthday in recent weeks and although in comparison to some the shed is still in its infancy, it has made great ground the past 12 months.

The shed has undertaken many projects and grown its membership significantly.

Vincent Doran is the chair of Graiguenamanagh Men’s Shed. He explains that this time last year, a group of five interested locals came together to discuss setting up a Men’s Shed in the locality.

They started by establishing a committee. From there they were able to apply for grants and funding to get the shed off the ground.

Now the shed boasts an impressive 25 members. The group operate out of a room in a stone building in the centre of Graiguenamanagh called The Tígeen.

“We have a small workshop in The Tígeen,” says Vincent. “In there we’ve turned old car tyres into flower planters and built bird feeders too.

"A couple of us are also beekeepers, so we are going to get some hives somewhere suitable, and then we can train up anyone who is interested in beekeeping.”

Going forward, the primary goal for Graiguenamanagh Men’s Shed is to locate a bigger premises, with the aim of having a workshop and separate area where members can socialise.

Vincent feels this would help the group attract more people, as they could further grow the “chat and a cuppa” aspect of the shed.

Ten members of the Men’s Shed also operate a choir, which practice once a week on a Thursday from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

The participating members really enjoy the singing and so far have performed in public on two occasions. This week they will complete their third outing which is a concert in the local library.

Like many Men’s Sheds, Graiguenamanagh’s shed is embedded in the local community.

The members help out with the community garden and many other projects going on.

Graiguenamanagh Men’s Shed always welcomes new members and is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10.30am to 1pm.

Vincent Doran can be contacted on 087 6318 390 for more information.

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