Men’s Sheds walking their way to Health ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ for Men’s Health Week.

Press Release: 06^th June 2025

Men’s Sheds walking their way to Health ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ for Men’s Health Week.

To celebrate Men’s Health Week 2025 (9-15 June) the Irish Men’s Sheds Association has invited its 465 Sheds nationally to celebrate by hosting a “Slí” where men meet, walk and talk in their local community.

From Saturday 7th in Bantry to Friday 13th in Banagher, Sheds are coming together individually, as groups of Sheds or by county to connect, chat and enjoy the great outdoors – on greenways, forest trails, canal banks and in parks. This year there are seventeen Slí’s taking place all over Ireland!

The first Slí was hosted by Carraroe Men’s Shed back in June 2024 with a trip to Inis Oirr with Sheds from Galway and Mayo counties attending – there was a history walk, traditional music, craic and chat. Since then, the Slí has become a national event for Sheds to celebrate Men’s Health Week, herald the start of summer and come together and do what Sheds do best – Connect! Like each Shed, every Slí is different and shaped by the Men themselves.

Irish Men’s Sheds Association is supported by Sports Partnerships, County Councils and supporters in their local Communities to organise these fantastic events which offer Sheds and new potential Shed members to experience the potential benefits of being part of Sheds.

Men’s Health week is about shining a light on Men’s Health and encouraging all men to think and talk about their health in a positive way. This year’s theme “Shoulder to Shoulder – Connecting for Health” is all about the importance of connectivity and helping each other. Reminding everyone about the importance of not going it alone, that there are supports available and that it is important to take action. Be it personal action relating to your own health or reaching out and connecting to a service or group to help in your journey towards maintaining both a heathier physical and mental lifestyle.

Rebecca McLaughlin, Health & Well Being Irish Men’s Sheds Association said;

“It’s fantastic to see our Slí grow from one walk to many taking place this Men’s Health Week around Ireland. Being part of a Shed benefits individual Men but also their family, friends and communities – wouldn’t it be great if every Man could access a Shed in their own village or town. We are told consistently by Men that their Shed has given them a new lease of life and sense of purpose (besides a lot of craic!), they are truly unique spaces worth celebrating this Men’s Health Week”.

Pat Duff Organiser Sli Fingal, Volunteer Irish Men’s Sheds Association said;

“We have had great success with the Slí over the past two years, with numbers of men and sheds increasing steadily. This event gives men an opportunity to get out and exercise, to connect and share their experiences, and with a bit of luck, they might even increase their Vitamin D levels! We are very grateful to Fingal County Council and Healthy Ireland for their support, and to all the men who join us on the day”.

Biddy O’Neill, Dept. of Health said;

“Ireland was the first country in the world to adopt a National Men’s Health Policy, and there remains an urgent need to maintain a specific focus on men’s health. While men’s health overall has improved, men still have a lower life expectancy than women and higher mortality rates for the leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and suicide. Men’s Health Week gives us a significant and important opportunity to continue the momentum and excellent progress that has been achieved in Men’s Health in Ireland.

By recognising the reciprocal nature of women’s and men’s health, it becomes clear that policy measures designed to improve men’s health can impact not just on men’s lives, but can have a positive influence on the lives of women and children, and on society as a whole.

The success of the Men’s Shed movement demonstrates that the explicit focus on gender specific strategies is paying dividends in community engagement, capacity building, partnership and sustainability”.

Locations for SLÍ 2025

Download the full Press Release HERE