Midleton Men Talking Shoulder to Shoulder
The good news about us securing a site in Midleton for our Men’s Shed is really spreading. After getting a brief column in the Irish Examiner last week, yesterday Seán O’Riordan did a super write-up about our situation in ‘TheCounty’ supplement of the same publication. We are delighted to get this publicity and indebted to this excellent newspaper for sharing our story. Thanks a million!
As previously mentioned we are also indebted to MyPlace in Midleton for giving us the use of the site.
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD AS MYPLACE GIVE THUMBS UP ON SITE FOR MIDLETON MEN’S SHED
For the last 15 months or so, Midleton Men’s Shed has been located in Carrigtwohill and we are very thankful to Fr. Bermingham & Fr. Winkle for the continued use of the Stable at Parochial House there.
In recent weeks, working closely with MyPlace Midleton, the Men’s Shed group has secured the use of the site beside the Community Centre just off Bailick Road for the purpose of erecting a Workshop/Recreation area.
Chairman Gerard Cogan said “We are delighted with this news and this is the beginning of a new chapter for our group. However, this is only the start, and now comes the significant task of putting a long-term home on this site which will benefit the men of Midleton for years to come. We face challenges in raising funds to erect a shed, or in securing modular buildings that could be placed on the site, and would appreciate the assistance of any people or local businesses who can help with this.
We are very thankful to the Board and management of MyPlace Midleton for starting us on this exciting new journey and look forward to welcoming new members from Midleton and surrounding areas.
We broke new ground yesterday afternoon (metaphorically speaking) when we had our first (and hopefully not last) socially distanced sing-song in the open air at our Men’s Shed in Carrigtwohill. (I know, Midleton Men’s shed in Carrigtwohill? That’s another story. )
As it was our first attempt at something like this, I was tentative and hopeful that it would be successful, and I’m delighted to say that it was a great success. To allow for the social distancing, we decided to sing outdoors in the lovely courtyard adjoining the shed, and luckily the weather remained favourable throughout. We did get one or two drops of rain at one stage, however nothing that would stop us from singing once we got started. We had some lovely songs and music for about an hour and a half. I heard lovely songs that I’d never heard before and old favourites that are sung regularly at sessions all over the country and beyond. We had one or two shy men also, and we’re hoping we might encourage them to sing with us the next time around. We might also encourage some of our other members who weren’t present yesterday to join us and sing or just have a listen.
Anyway, a successful afternoon, and I believe everyone present enjoyed the music and the banter. We even got some homework, we all have to have at least one song that we didn’t sing yesterday!!
So until the next one………
We all know the world presents its challenges. However, there’s good news out there too, if you look hard enough for it. Apart from the lengthening evenings and (slightly) rising temperatures, we have received a share of good news for our Shed in the past week. In the first instance, the number of members of the shed is increasing (although there is always room for more). The variety of community activities in which we are involved is also increasing (although, again, we are always open to suggestions for us to get involved with other community activities).
Several of our Men’s Shed members attended the Nanny PopPpins show in the Aghada Community Centre on Saturday night, April 6th. The show was spectacular, and our Men’s Shed are very proud to be associated with the show, even though the part we played (in assisting with the set & stage props) was modest by comparison to the scale of the entire production. It was great fun and we would love to be involved with future productions.
As mentioned previously, we have commenced our classes in conversational Irish. Some of the members are already fluent Irish speakers, which is a great help. One of the shedders, Colm Ó’Catháin, is a former Irish school teacher and is facilitating the classes. Our aim is to use a little Irish when we can, but not having Irish will not act as a barrier to existing or new members. Nothing too serious, but you’d be amazed how quickly the “cúpla focal” would come back to you.
Finally, on the good news front, we have found a temporary home for our workshop. We are very grateful to Father Bermingham in the Parish of Carrigtwohill who has made some disused stables available to us for the next 6 months or so. At present we are assisting with clearing out the building & making it habitable. We plan to ‘move in’ in the very near future. This is a short-term measure only, as our real aim is to have our workshop/shed within walking distance of Midleton town centre.
It might appear odd that we are going to Carrigtwohill for a workshop. However, despite our continuing best efforts to secure suitable premises in Midleton, and notwithstanding the very large amount of vacant property in the Midleton area, we have not been successful, yet. We repeat our call for any relevant landlords in the Midleton area to consider having the Midleton Men’s Shed as tenant. We are looking for 1,500 square feet of space, or a greenfield site on which to build our own premises. We simply must be based in the heart of Midleton.
Our fund-raising efforts are going well. We have had a good number of very generous donations from local businesses, to whom we wrote seeking support for which we are truly grateful. We remind those who have received a letter, or those who did not, to consider making a donation if you have not already done so – our details are included below. The funds will be used wisely for the shed & tools, when that emerges in the near future. In the meantime, having a workshop space, albeit in Carrigtwohill for the moment, is great for us as It gives us a space to work on our short-term projects which we hope will in turn benefit the people of Midleton and further afield.
As we are fully committed to being based in Midleton, we will continue to hold our weekly meetings in the Edmond Rice Centre on Rosary Place on Friday mornings at 11 o’clock, until we secure our long-term solution of having our workshop based in Midleton.
Our Men’s Shed group meets weekly at 11.00 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us using any of the following methods:
Shed phone number: 083-4019739
email: [email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MIdletonMensShed2018
Isn’t there a grand stretch in the evenings all the same?
It has been another busy week for our shedders. On Friday last we had a good discussion on
progress or lack of progress in our search for a new shed.
We are in Fund-raising mode at the moment, and at present we are writing to
businesses in the Midleton area requesting financial support. Our members have been out and about in the
area delivering our letters and thanks a million to them all for getting the
job done and keeping our postal costs to the minimum. Thanks a million also to
those who have responded positively already, and we hope more businesses will
support us in the near future so that we can get involved in more community
work around the area. The first batch of these letters were distributed this
week, and we will have another batch being distributed in the coming week. If you have a business that we have missed
and wish to make a financial donation to Midleton Men’s Shed be it big or
small, please contact us on any of the methods outlined at the end of this
article and we will reply to you as quick as we can.
Thank you also for your continued support of us in the ‘Tesco Blue Tokens Scheme’ we’re delighted with the progress to date, but the scheme runs for eight weeks, so we need your blue tokens every time you shop in Tesco Midleton.
On Saturday night last, a group of our ‘night hawk’ members headed to Healy’s Bar in Rostellan to join with the Aghada Centre Theatre Group for a few pints and a sing song. Fair play to the Aghada gang, they had been rehearsing all day, but still managed to give renditions of several songs from their upcoming show Nanny PopPpins. I am reliably informed that someone sang a song about the amorous intentions of a short-sighted armadillo towards a concertina which was one of the highlights of the evening. As they say, a great night had by all. Liam, you have the patience of a saint, volunteering for driving duties on this occasion.
It was back to work in Aghada again on Tuesday Morning for the shedders. With dress rehearsals now taking place at the weekends for Nanny PopPpins, we’re at the stage of putting the final finishing touches to the stage props, and we plan to be finished by next week.
We have been in contact with Conradh na Gaeilge regarding getting our conversational Irish classes up and running and we’ll let you know here when we have a start date.
If you have any queries about our Men’s Shed group, or suggestions for
projects that we might be able to assist with please contact us on any of the
methods below.
Our Men’s Shed group meets
weekly at 11.30 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome
new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us using any of the
following methods:
Shed phone number: 083-4019739
email: [email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MIdletonMensShed2018
For the past several weeks we have been working hard on the stage props for Aghada Centre Theatre Group’s upcoming show, Nanny PopPpins. There was quite a lot of work involved, from adapting some of the props to suit the size of the stage in Aghada Community Centre to making up some of the props from scratch. It was a challenging and a rewarding experience, and we made lots of new friends; people who are volunteering serious amounts of time to get this show ready for the end of March. We’re getting close to the end of this project now and have gained a great insight into the workings behind the scenes, and more importantly the huge effort it takes to bring a show like this to fruition. We are all looking forward to seeing the show, and have our tickets secured already. If you want to get, they’re available online from https://www.gr8events.ie/aghadatheatre be quick though, they’re selling like hotcakes.
Our search for a shed continues. At present we are investigating a number of possibilities both for a short-term solution, and for a permanent home. Hopefully we will have more news to report on this in the coming weeks, but if you can offer us any assistance in this regard, please contact us using any of the methods outlined below.
We will take delivery of another delivery of Dam Easy Flood doors in the next few weeks. If your home is in danger of flooding and you don’t have the means to purchase this flood protection, we may be able to assist you. Please contact us using any of the methods outlined below to find out if you qualify.
We are aware that not everyone uses social media and email etc, so we have purchased a ‘shed phone’. Our ‘shed phone’ number is 083-4019739. If you have any questions or want to contact us regarding any shed related matter, please phone and leave a message including your number or text us. We may not always answer immediately, but we will get back to you as quickly as we can.
We are planning to commence Conversational Irish Classes for our members in the coming weeks, and we hope to be able to make this available to non-members also. Once we have finalised the details, we will share it here, and on our website/social media etc., but if you are interested let us know, and we can include you on the list.
Another project we plan to get involved with in the next few weeks is to
commence regular trips to local beaches to conduct beach clean-ups. We plan to start with Inch Beach and see how
it goes from there. We are very thankful
to Cork County Council and Clean Coasts Ballynamona for their assistance with
this endeavour
Our Men’s Shed group meets
weekly at 11.30 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome
new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us using any of the following
methods:
Shed phone number: 083-4019739
email: [email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MIdletonMensShed2018
As we men approach the ‘silver’ or even the
‘golden’ years of 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond, it’s a great opportunity for us to
take stock of our wellbeing and start living life at our own pace again. With
the stresses of home and family life hopefully beginning to ease somewhat, now is
a great time to shake off any bad lifestyle habits you may have picked up along
the way and to ensure that you can continue living happily, healthily and
independently for many years to come.
By taking control of our health as we get on in years, we can keep at bay some
of the illnesses and conditions that become more common in our 50s, 60s and
70s. It is so important to stay active,
eat a healthy and balanced diet, keep our drinking under control and stay in
regular contact with our GP. Taking
these simple and positive steps will reduce our risk of heart disease, type 2
diabetes, cancer, arthritis and more.
Positive steps for taking care of our health
Don’t forget, our local pharmacists are also healthcare professionals, and in many cases can assist us very quickly with many of our health concerns. They can offer information about treatments, explanations on medications as well as a range of services such as flu vaccinations etc.
Our Men’s Shed group meets weekly at 11.30 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us by email at:[email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidletonMensShed2018
As we have seen in the last week, at this time of
the year the weather can turn cold very quickly, and even though we’re seeing a
‘stretch in the evenings’, it will be prudent and sensible to be prepared in
advance of another ‘Beast from the East or similar, and ensure that you and
your car are winter-ready. As the old saying goes ‘if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail’.
But what exactly should you stock in your car’s winter driving kit? We may not
be able to predict the weather, but our checklist below should take the
guesswork out of staying safe on the roads this winter.
Ice, Ice, Maybe
Ice on the roads & ice on the windscreen is most likely to be a factor early in the mornings, for this reason we recommend keeping an ice scraper and some de-icer in your car & drive to the conditions.
Save yourself a winter breakdown
Keep your Insurance cover info in your vehicle, or/member card handy. Ensure mobile phone is always charged up before trip. Keep hi-vis clothing, a torch and an emergency warning triangle in your car so that you can make yourself more visible to passing traffic if you must step out from your car.
Maybe its cold outside
For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep some warm clothes and potentially even a blanket/sleeping bag, in your car so that you can stay warm while waiting for roadside rescue team.
Food for thought
No-one likes being cold and/or hungry, so as silly as it may seem it can be a good idea to have some food in your winter emergency kit (we recommend something with a long-shelf life like a cereal bar along with a bottle or two of water to help keep you or your car hydrated depending on the circumstances. This is particularly important if you have a pre-existing medical condition which could be worsened by any significant length of time without food. We would also encourage motorists to keep a small amount of any medication that you need to take at regular intervals in the car, so that you are not left without if you find yourself stuck in your vehicle.
Fingers crossed you’ll never need to use your car’s winter safety kit, but it’s always a good idea to have one ready for the worst case scenario. While the above essentials are likely to be the most important items to include, if you still have room in your boot a small fire extinguisher, spare light bulbs, and even a first-aid kit could also be useful during the winter months. For the sake of 10 minutes and a small amount of cash, your winter kit could prove to be a life-saver.
PREPARATION NOT REPARATION
Our Men’s Shed group meets weekly at 11.30 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us by email at: [email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidletonMensShed2018
Day trip to Cork
On Friday January 18th a delegation from Midleton Men’s Shed
attended a very important event at the Metropole Hotel in Cork City. Towards the end of 2018 the Irish Men’s Shed
Association were awarded the European Citizen’s Prize. Since 2008, the European Parliament awards
the European Citizen’s Prize every year to projects and initiatives that
facilitate cross-border cooperation or promote mutual understanding within the
EU. Previous Irish winners include the
GAA in 2013 and CoderDojo in 2017.
The Men’s Shed Association was
nominated for the prize by Sean Kelly MEP and Deirdre Clune MEP both of whom
were in attendance.
Mr. Kelly spoke about how delighted he was to Nominate the Men’s Shed movement
and how doubly delighted he was that they won the prize.
Ms. Clune also expressed her delight that the Men’s Shed movement had won this
prestigious prize, and praised in the highest terms the excellent work being
done in facilitating over 400 sheds across the country to get up and
running. She also expressed her hopes that
funding from the Government and from Europe could be secured for individual
sheds and for the National association.
Mr. Barry Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Men’s Shed Association also spoke briefly,
outlining the strong growth of the Men’s Shed movement in Ireland; In 2018
alone, more than 60 new sheds were established, an average of more than one
every week.
The award was then presented to Mr. Sheridan by Mr. Kelly and Ms. Clune and
that concluded the formalities of the event.
We were then entertained by the
choirs from the Men’s Sheds from Carrigaline and Mayfield who were in great
voice and we were all encouraged to join in the singing in the spirit of
involvement that is key to the Men’s Shed ethos.
At this point, having worked up a thirst from listening and singing,
refreshments were served and the shedders did some of the things they do best,
chatted, drank tea and had the craic.
Launch Evening at Aghada Centre Theatre Group
Later the same evening some members attended the official launch of the Theatre
Group’s 2019 musical, Nanny Poppins. Our
Men’s Shed Group are hugely grateful to be one of the beneficiaries from the
show, and our Chairman was called upon to say a few words. In related big news, one of our members has
been auditioned and accepted and will make his stage debut in the show
March. We are very excited for him and
we are sure he will be a huge asset to the group and the show. More about this in the coming weeks.
Our Men’s Shed group meets weekly at 11.30 on Friday mornings in the Edmond Rice Centre, and we welcome new members.
If you would like more information you can contact us by email at:[email protected]
or have a look at our website: www.midletonmensshed.com
We are also on social media as follows:
Twitter: @MensMidleton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidletonMensShed2018
