An academic researcher who contributed significantly to the growth of the Men’s Shed movement in Australia — where it all began — has admitted to being highly impressed by the growth of the organisation in Ireland.

IT’S often said that ‘Men don’t talk face to face, they talk shoulder to shoulder.’

A men’s help network developed around the humble shed has been given the presidential seal of approval.

Men in their 50s feel most comfortable in their sheds, with 2,000 “shedders” taking regular solace in their back gardens.

Men’s Sheds are providing a haven for Irish men who want to work on projects at their own pace, writes Margaret Carragher.