Tipperary community members express frustration over closure of local men's shed

A recent social media post by organiser of Nenagh Men’s Shed, Tobias Green, has gone viral locally in the last week with the announcement that Nenagh Men’s Shed would unfortunately be closing down.

On the popular Facebook community page, ‘Nenagh Community News’ Tobias wrote: “Nenagh Men’s Shed is closing unfortunately. Running costs, rent, insurance and electricity have put us in an impossible situation.

“Over the last few years we have worked tirelessly in an effort to secure a premises that we could afford, and call our own. We hit brick wall after brick wall.

“The work has taken a major toll on my mental health. A Men’s Shed is supposed to be beneficial to men’s mental health, a space where men can meet, do projects, chat, express themselves etc. Instead, most of the last year especially has been spent fundraising just to keep the door open.

“All our members have been affected in a negative way. Repeated rejections from organisations and authorities has been hard to take. Each time we were told no, I racked my brain to think of another space we might access, just to give me lads something to focus on.

“Well we’ve reached the end of the road.

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“I’m exhausted personally. And I’m struggling with depression since before Christmas. Unsure where to turn. A doctor’s appointment is nigh on impossible to get. And doctors just want to throw pills at people. They are not a long-term solution for a great many people, but they’re cheaper for the government.

“The HSE pledged a couple of years ago to spend 10% of the budget on mental health. They had an opportunity to help the Men’s Shed by allowing us access the yard to the rear of the old health board building on Kenyon Street.

“They turned us down. As much as I am struggling, I had the Men’s Shed to go to, to focus on.

“I’m hugely disappointed, as are the rest of our members. We want to show huge gratitude to the people of Nenagh who, through their generosity over the last month’s have helped to keep us going as long as we have.“It always amazes me, how despite the financial difficulties that so many are experiencing, people still donated what they could. I can’t thank you all enough.

“If we ever find a premises, or a little bit of ground that we can put a structure on, we’ll try to start back up.”

Tobias’ open and honest words were met with a huge reaction from Nenagh locals who were outraged to learn that this had happened and upset for Tobias that this situation had been causing him such significant trouble.

One person commented: “This is surely an opportunity for local TDS to do something ...it should never have come to this. Where’s the community spirit? Mental health and well being is top priority. You shouldn’t have had to do this on your own. I hope if there’s any decency at all that someone will step up.”

Another wrote: “When you think of all the wasted money that’s being thrown at things needlessly in this country (bike sheds etc) and things that serve a purpose and are a lifeline to some people having to needlessly close down, it’s ridiculous. Some people are probably very dependant on this. Hopefully something will get sorted for them.”

As Tobias has put so eloquently, Men’s Sheds are a significantly important outlet for local men. These community groups, of which there are roughly 450 throughout the country, allow men the opportunity to socialise and converse somewhere that isn’t the local pub and somewhere they feel they can enjoy themselves and meet friends without necessarily feeling the need to have a few pints in the process.

Men’s Sheds, Women’s Sheds and other similar community groups are always good news stories and people really enjoy celebrating and commending their work, which is why this particular social media post has resonated with so many.

Last year, during Men’s Health Week, Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) Chairman Ray Harte echoed Tobias’s sentiments saying “For the most part, Sheds are safe, supportive and confidential spaces for Men to share their feelings and discuss things they couldn’t imagine discussing outside any other four walls. Sheds have saved lives.

“For many, the Shed is the ‘Why’ that gets them out of bed in the morning and gives their life meaning.”

In November 2024, a press release from the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) announced new funding but also voiced concerns over potential funding shortfalls: “We appreciate the Government’s continued commitment to Men’s Sheds and are pleased that sheds will also be eligible to apply for support for small capital improvements to their facilities,” said IMSA CEO Enda Egan.

“However, including additional organisations within the same funding pool, without a proportional increase in the overall amount available, raises concerns about the adequacy of support that individual Men’s Sheds will receive.

“The knock-on effect for many Sheds and their local communities has the potential to be utterly devastating”.

It seems these concerns from IMSA have come to fruition in Nenagh, where despite best efforts from local organisers like Tobias, the amount of supports given simply hasn’t been enough.

Tobias has expressed that they aren’t looking for much, just a space to continue their operations. Members of the community were quick to offer their own solutions and suggestions too.

Nenagh Community News admin, David McGree, raised a worthwhile point that there may in fact be funding streams available to groups like this but that people just don’t know how to access them or where to find more information on them. He suggested: “A course showing community groups how to complete applications, would help everyone in the community.

“I also think any community group that applies for funding should automatically go onto a council database where they can be kept informed of every opportunity to avail of funding.

“There is not much point in having funding streams available if the paperwork requires a degree to complete or the groups are not notified in writing of funding availability.”

Out of the 157 comments under two posts from Tobias, many called out local TDs to come to the aid of the Nenagh Men’s Shed and several more offered suggestions for alternative venues or means for getting funding.

Tobias has since appeared on Tipp FM to discuss the issue as well as how it’s affected his own mental health.

So, hopefully after the tremendous showing of support from the local community, this situation will be soon resolved. Not only for the benefit of this man’s mental health and that of his fellow Men’s Shed members but also so that more attention is raised to the fact of just how important these facilities are in local communities, so that they don’t go forgotten about and similar situations don’t arise in future.