Adare’s Men’s Shed is a relatively new one having been set up in 2017 with premises generously provided by long-time Adare publicans Michael and Mary Collins. Shedder Michael O’Donoghue recently shared how members have adapted to COVID-19 restrictions. Says Michael: “Everything was going great with the Shed. Our membership had reached about 40, but then arrived COVID-19.” The shed, like so many other sheds around the country, had to close. Although shedders continued to keep in touch through phone calls, texts and Zoom, they were missing the cuppa and the chat.
Adare’s Men’s Shed is a relatively new one having been set up in 2017 with premises generously provided by long-time Adare publicans Michael and Mary Collins. Shedder Michael O’Donoghue recently shared how members have adapted to COVID-19 restrictions. Says Michael: “Everything was going great with the Shed. Our membership had reached about 40, but then arrived COVID-19.” The shed, like so many other sheds around the country, had to close.
Although shedders continued to keep in touch through phone calls, texts and Zoom, they were missing the cuppa and the chat.
Then out of the ashes like the Phoenix came John Bradley and his able assistant Joe Sheehy. John and Joe began to organise regular walks on Wednesdays in the beautiful Curragh Chase Forest Park, the serene, meditative River Bank Walk in Adare and the historic hill of Knockfierna.
“This was a great way for many of the lads to meet up, have a healthy walk, a chinwag and best of all was a lovely cuppa and a scone at Warren Higgin’s Cafe.”
The walks have been put on hold for now but the ethos of the Shed endures and the Adare Shedders will ensure that no member feels isolated. “We know that many of our members miss the visit to their Shed either for a game of cards, a project or a chat. It''s the members are the Shed, not the premises, and we look forward to the day when we are all back together.”
A tale of two bowls
“A tale of two bowls” is how secretary of Kilcock Community Men’s Shed Liam Farrell describes the genesis of a pair of stunning laburnum bowls created by Tony Jones, one of Kilcock Shed’s most enthusiastic and talented woodturners.
The tale begins on the fateful day shedder Peter Barry delivered an order of kiln-dried wood fuel from his family woods near Kilcock to a lady in south Dublin.
Wooden bowls made by Kilcock Men's Shed.
“She asked Peter if he knew anyone who could make a piece of laburnum into a bowl for her. Her tree had blown down and she wanted something tangible to remember it by and the years of enjoyment it gave.”
Peter brought the wood back to the shed where courses provided by the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and woodturning lathes purchased by Kildare County Council were put to great use. The unusual grain of the laburnum came through perfectly, all thanks to the incredible skill of the turner Tony and the quality of the wood.
Liam says: “The bowls illustrate the value of a pastime learned in the shed environment which keeps so many of us occupied during the long days of lockdown.” CL
Read more
Men's Sheds: no time for rest when there is work to be done
Men's Sheds begin to reopen after lockdown
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