Laois community reignites spark in Men's Shed planning

A meeting is taking place in Abbeyleix this week with the community coming together in the hope of setting up a new men's shed. 

The 'exploratory discussion' will take place on Wednesday, September 4 at 8pm in the upstairs room behind the Tennis Club at Fr Breen Park. 

One of the organisers of the meeting, Richard O'Connell said: "The idea is we just have an open discussion on whether it would be a good idea and what sort of energy we get around it."

Men's Shed Laois coordinator Liam Stapleton will also be in attendance at the meeting which Richard said would provide "invaluable" insight into the work it takes to set up Men's Shed from his own experience in doing so across County Laois.

Speaking on what he hopes will come from tomorrow's meeting Richard said: "Hopefully we get a reasonable turnout and we just open up the discussion and see what sort of ideas are around it, what people would like to do would determine the shape of what the shed would look like in terms of facilities and so on, it is very much a preliminary discussion."

The Abbeyleix Men's Shed has been almost four years in the making as the first discussion around its establishment took place a month before the first lockdown due to the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

"We had a couple of meetings then and obviously when covid hit things were sort of put on ice and tomorrow night really is about reigniting that spark at that time."

"It was around having a workshop and having a place where people could meet socially and have a chat or play a game of cards, really it's around that basic idea of men coming together around activities that they can share and have a social and creative outlet.

"Lots of sheds get into creative stuff and have workshops, it's about being creative and social is what is at the core of it."