New home for Men’s Sheds

By Tamara O’Connell

THE Chairperson of Men’s Shed Dundalk has said members of the group are “delighted” with their new home.

Men’s Shed Dundalk Chairperson Peter O’Neill told the Dundalk Leader that the group, which comprises around 60 members, moved into a new premises on Monday, April 3.

“We were based over in Seatown and had been based there for around 11 years so it’s a big change,” said Peter.

“We moved last Friday and are now in a new temporary space, the Youth Club Centre next to St Patrick’s Cathedral.

“We are keeping busy even though we don’t have a workshop any more. The members play cards, and play pool and there is a lovely little garden out the back.”

Peter added: “It’s a nice place to sit when there is a bit of sun. We will only be here on a temporary basis as we have a site in Muirhevnamor.

“Louth County Council are helping us and the plan is that we will put a portacabin on the site and that will be our permanent home.

“We thought we might lose a lot of members between the pandemic and the move but around 90 per cent of our members have stayed with us.”

He concluded: “We are also busy with a new project relating to Uganda. A man we know went to Uganda and brought back some art work from there.

“They are oil paintings on canvas and the men here are going to frame them and they will be exhibited in An Tain Arts Centre here in the town.

“The paintings will be for sale and the money raised from the project will be donated to a charity in Uganda which has plans to build a school over there.”