Greystones Men’s Shed isa relatively new phenomenon
GREYSTONES Men’s Shed is a relatively new phenomenon, in existence not much more than a year and a half and based in the local scout hall at Church Road.
Jim Rice is given credit for taking the initiative which has found many willing takers for its programme of comradely outings, practical activity and good old-fashioned socialising - with a helping of socialising thrown in.
The biggest undertaking of all so far was to lick the scout hall into shape after a period of neglect which left the structure in need of extensive refurbishment and maintenance.
The Shed has also added a workshop – a prefab brought all the way from the M3 motorway where it served as a site office – to the original building.
The workshop turns out nesting boxes for owls as well as traps for pine martins to assist naturalists in their conservation work.
There are also plans afoot to make seaworthy once more a battered old cabin cruiser which should be fit to take to the waves some time in the summer of 2018, with any luck.
Such concerns are not for everyone, as member Brendan Bell acknowledges: ‘Sometimes lads come down to the Men’s Shed just to have a coffee.’ The activities are optional with the shed open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
For those who want more than a cuppa, the programme includes an ‘IT’ course laid on by the adult education authority, specialising in practical topics such as making the most of a smart phone.
The members often take to the road, having visited the likes of Glendalough and Farmleigh, with a trip to the National Stud in Kildare in the offing.
A mindfulness course is set to start in September.