Board Blog,

 

A large part of our Active Age grouping is made up of the Men’s Shed. Their achievements, highlighted here as part of Bealtaine, celebrating the creativity of older people, formed a major part of our presentation to Pride of Place last year. Pride of Place is a national contest, for which a centre/organisation is nominated by its local County Council. South Dublin County Council nominated Ballyroan last year and we were runner-up in our category.

 

On the day of the judges’ visit we, along with members of the Men’s Shed, showed the artefacts built by the men, including the famous Currach. Jim Fox and others regaled the judges with stories of the launching of the currach. They entertained them with music played in their little shed (kindly donated by the Library, but much too small for the numbers in the Shed). The centrepiece of their contribution was the splendid photographic exhibition, researched, collated and curated by the Men’s Shed.

 

The members investigated all the notable sportspeople in this area and secured photographs, many directly from local families, of stars like Padraig Harrington and Michael Dara Macauley. These were carefully framed and mounted in the hall and corridors of the Centre. They found local connections to upwards of a hundred well-known sportsmen and sportswomen. It’s well worth a visit, if you haven’t seen it.

 

Their next project is taking them outdoors, away from the confines of their too small shed. They’ve got permission to develop and landscape some of the grounds of Sancta Maria, owned by Ballyboden St. Enda’s - further evidence of the art, craft and creativity of our Men’s Shed. We’re all looking forward to seeing the fruits of their latest project shortly.