Achill Men’s Shed opens in old school shelters

The latest Men's Shed in Mayo was officially opened on Achill Island on Friday evening with the conversion of an old national school outdoor shelter.

Achill councillor Paul McNamara officially opened the new Achill Men's Shed which is located on the ground's of the old Derreens National School on Achill Island.

The school's old outdoor shelters have been converted into a work shed for the men of the area while another shed has been constructed alongside it to provide extra space.

Speaking at the opening on a glorious Friday evening, Cllr McNamara said he was pleased to be able to support the Achill Men's Shed and it will be an important place for people to meet.

“A lot of people ask what is a men's shed but to me a men's shed is a great addition to a community and what it does for people. A lot of people do not see the good it does. We live in a world where we can sit on a chair and go on a phone and know what people are doing in another country. We can get lazy and lose that social interaction that is so important in our lives. What the men's shed does is give that opportunity to people when they retire to have this place to go to and interact even if it is just to put on the kettle. They can meet people and know what’s going on. To me that is vitally important,” he told the crowd at the opening.

Cllr McNamara complimented the local community in Derreens and Kildownet and the amount of work they do every year to keep the community alive and vibrant.

Vivian Ruddy, Chairman of the Achill Men's Shed welcomed everyone to the opening and said the idea of a Men's Shed came about in early 2023 and the community started to look into it.

They chose the outdoor shelters as their base and with help from local people they were able to provide power to it and put in a cooker along with heaters and lights. Vivian praised local man Tony Kennedy for the work he did on the shed and getting it ready.

“Tony is always positive with everything he does. Nothing is impossible and he is a man with great vision and if it needs to be done he will do it,” he said.

Vivian explained that one of their first projects was to make Christmas logs which were sold at the Christmas market.

“We soon realised we were restricted and wanted more room so hence the new shed,” he explained. “A concrete base was put in with water and electricity and eventually the shed arrived and everything has turned out well. The future is bright and new members are also welcome,” he said.

Vivian added that despite being named the Men's Shed it will also be available to the women in the community.

He thanked Cllr McNamara for supporting them in providing funding for the shed as well as the Mayo branch of the Men's Shed organisation along with the HSE and the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme for their help.

The new Men's Shed was also blessed by Fr Tom Gallagher who said he hoped the shed will be a great resource for all the community.