One year on from its establishment, prospects are bright for the Men’s Shed in Glanmire, Co Cork. Just last week the group acquired their own permanent premises and from speaking with founding member and treasurer Tim Glavin, it is clear that big plans are in the pipeline for the future.
Tim explained the origins of their Men’s Shed. “Glanmire is just outside Cork city and has a large population, so a few of us in the area felt that a Men’s Shed would work well. We held a meeting and a good crowd turned up so last April the Glanmire Men’s Shed was set up.
“We have 17 members and we meet every Monday, when we have chat, camaraderie and banter. We have had speakers in regularly, talking about things like health and retirement. Every Thursday we go walking and we also have organised day tours to places such as Killarney and further afield.
“Last Christmas we worked with Ryan’s SuperValu in Glanmire, facilitating parking for shopping, which we got great feedback from. Afterwards The Widow’s bar held our social Christmas gathering, which was much appreciated.
“This week we are starting a history project for a craft competition run by Topline. The hope is to get a workshop up and running in the next few months and start up a bit of woodworking. We are also looking into beekeeping.
“We’ve only recently got a permanent premises for our workshop. Before this we were rotating between the local community centre, Ryan’s SuperValu and the Scouting Hall. We managed to get a large portacabin.
“The cabin came already wired up and ready to go, so the only work needed was transport and decorating.
“There’s a great love for our Men’s Shed. It feels like a real team, there is great camaraderie here. My doctor actually started recommending it for lads my age.”
If you are looking to join or just looking for more information about Glanmire Men’s Shed, contact Tim at 087 9573995 or shed secretary Martin at 087 2697076.