Tullow Men’s Shed
History of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association
The Irish Men’s Sheds Association was formed in 2011. However, the men’s shed movement originally started in Australia which inspired their Irish counterparts to begin their own movement.
Having first started in 2009, the men’s sheds movement had its birth in Tipperary where the first men’s shed was formed. Following the formation of the first shed in Ireland, the shed movement began to grow rapidly, with there now being over 400 sheds registered with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and at least 12,000 men visiting a shed every week.
Tullow Men’s Shed
Tullow has had a Men’s Shed since 2011, providing an invaluable service to the community as a place for members to gather and spend time together without pressure or expectation. Tullow Men’s Shed is an integral part of the Tullow community. Its members are active in a number of areas of the community including Tullow Tidy Towns & Climate Action Committee. Everyone involved in a volunteer, with no expectations or demands placed on any member regarding attendance.
They are open Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10am until 12 noon, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm.
Activities
Tullow Men’s Shed engages in a number of activities, including carpentry and woodwork, and many of their projects are for the local community, including our own Hope sign. They also spend time out in the community, helping elderly neighbours or cutting overgrown lawns- there’s a wide variety of reasons why the members joined Tullow Men’s Shed, but they all enjoy getting together to chat, learning and sharing skills, and working side by side.
Tullow Men’s Shed on KCLR
As part of National Volunteering Week, Carlow Volunteer Centre arranged for KCLR to visit some of the Volunteer Involving Organisations and speak with volunteers and organisers. Listen to Una Ni Mhaoldhomhnaigh’s interviews below, and hear about the experiences of those involved.
How Carlow Volunteers Can Help Out
Tullow Men’s Shed is always looking for new members, whether it’s someone who wants to actively volunteer in their community, spend some time engaging with the variety of activities available or just get out of the house for a few hours a week. It’s a safe space for men to come together and make some new friends, focus on improving and maintaining their well-being while maybe learning or teaching some new skills.
Currently the main building used by the Tullow Men’s Shed is being refurbished and upgraded, but they are hoping to be open again fully soon
