Belturbet Men’s Shed on RTÉ Nationwide
John Kilraine, RTÉ Correspondent for Nationwide, shares the inner workings of Belturbet’s Men’s Shed.
There is a “magic dust” in the way Mens Sheds work according to Enda Egan CEO of the Irish Mens Sheds Association who says they offer a facility for men to open up about things they would not normally talk about.
The shed in Belturbet, Co Cavan runs a wide range of workshops and projects that have benefitted the local community. But its members also have many personal stories that testify to the life improvement that membership can bring. The Men’s Shed in Belturbet, Co. Cavan runs a wide range of workshops and projects but also contains many personal stories that are testify to the life improvement that membership can bring.
One of their most successful projects was the restoration of old railway carriages including a ‘shawlie wagon’ that was once used to transport livestock. The shed is based in a building adjoining the old Belturbet railway station which is now a museum. The restoration works took two years and the Shawlie wagon is now part of the museum. The two other railway carriages were rebuilt with the help of prisoners in nearby Loughnan House and are being used by the local bowling and pétanque club. Paul Swaile, who is in the men’s club, worked on the shawlie and he credits this project with getting him over the death of a family member who he found after “he decided to leave us”.
“It pulled me out of it,” he said of the project. “I was in a very bad place after I come down to the men’s shed here.” He said joining the group was he best thing he ever did and added: “I spend more time here that I do at home”.
The men’s shed runs classes in woodwork and gardening. Joseph Cox who is in his 80s comes for the computer classes. Joseph was left on his own after his wife died four years ago followed by his daughter two years later. He said the mens shed gets him out of the house: “I’m on me own. Its very lonely. I was sort of reluctant to engage with anything outside the home after what happened, the deaths. I didn’t go out or mix much, after the funerals,with the community “Its much better to have something to look forward to, the people that are here that are running it are very friendly, supportive. Its camraderie”.
The men also get taught about healthy eating, using food grown by themselves, and how the right type of food can improve mental and physical health. Mr Egan says there are 450 such groups around Ireland involving 10,000 men every week. He says they are ‘amazing spaces’. “What we tend to find is when men come together in the shed environment, they start to communicate and talk about things, particularly issues that are of a health nature, of a mental health nature, that they wouldn’t necessarily talk about in a family environment. Why that happens, we’re not really sure. But there is a kind of a magic dust in sheds that works among the men”
Fergus Finlay suffers from aphasia involving speech difficulties as the result of a stroke. A former potter he makes wooden bowls using fallen trees from the Slieve Russell Hotel which are sold in the hotel’s gift shop and are due to be sold in other outlets. He credits the men’s shed with improving his condition and said when he first joined was a “non-verbal member of the community”. “I benefited massively from being in the Men’s Shed. The camaraderie, for want of a better word, is brilliant. It’s helped in my recovery. No end, of ways”. He became Chairman of the group as the position requires someone who will listen, not necessarily to speak.
“Aphasia is what I suffer from. It has robbed me of the willingness to butt in, but that’s a good thing, because now I hold my wisht. I’m the fellow in the corner who doesn’t talk unless he has something to say”.
Michael O’Gorman treasurer the Belturbet group says the main benefit for the members is to get them out of isolation and to improve their mental and physical health. As well as playing pétanque there are free swimming lessons and exercises provided in the Slieve Russell’s pool by hotel staff.
Enda Egan said around the country there are mens sheds being created in new settings such as health care centres and prisons. He said they can also be used to benefit the wider community in projects such as Tidy Towns and local sports clubs.
– John Kilraine
