MEN'S SHED: Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo

Ballyhaunis Men’s Shed lives by the mantra that while women talk face to face, men talk shoulder to shoulder.

The shed is essentially there for men to come together, have a cup of tea, a talk and make something with their hands, all in the company of other men.

Ruairí O’Broin is a member of the shed and he moved to Ballyhaunis three years ago: “The men’s shed has given me a purpose and a place in the town,” he says.“If anything happens in life, you turn around and the shed mates are there to support you.”

Ballyhuanis is a rural town in Co Mayo of approximately 2,000 people. It has a large multicultural population, with members from every background welcome to come together and enjoy all the shed has to offer.

Most recently, the men made planters which they gave to the Tidy Towns committee. They have also painted a local charity shop for the local hospice and they make clocks and other objects too.

Restoring and upcycling items of furniture is something they enjoy too.

The men in the shed are mostly retired and come together with their shared knowledge. There are men who have backgrounds in building, forestry and even the meat industry. Ruairí himself has a huge interest in pottery and ceramics, so there are plenty of projects the men find themselves doing.

The shed is in the Prairie in the town where the men turned fallen-in cow sheds into a workshop space and a kitchen for their shed.

It opens Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and Ruairí says this could change if more members join, opening up in the evenings too.

“There are a lot of isolated, single men with no access to transport and no way to get to the shed. There is a facility here if people in the community could reach out to people who are less mobile but would benefit greatly from our shed and help them get here,” Ruairí urges.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the shed or joining, they can call Ruairí on 086-833 5085 or visit their facebook page: Ballyhaunis Men’s Shed.