‘I’ve been battling cancer for 22 years, and I’ve had four heart attacks’: Why we go to the Men’s Shed

By working shoulder to shoulder on projects, men who join a local shed get to know and support each other. The tea and chat that follows is often when strong friendships are formed  

Shed buddies Ger Murphy, Dave Cashman, Kevin Guilley, and Henry Lee in the workshop at Carrigtwohill, Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

The most important tool in any shed is the kettle. The real work of the shed happens around tea and chat

The Men’s Shed movement, which started in Australia in the 1970s, arrived in Ireland in 2009. There are now 484 sheds across the country.