Interview With Kanturk Men’s Shed

By KEVIN O’ CONNOR 2003 & 2023 Special Olympian, & 2023 Person of the Month

How did the Men’s Shed first start?

The Men’s Shed was formed by guys like Eddie Walsh and John fuller. It started off in Edel Quinn Hall as we had no place of our own.

How did you get volunteers involved with the organisation outside from Kanturk town and in town?

Getting members or volunteers was a bit of a struggle and has been over the years, but luckily we had a solid group of lads who continued coming weekly over the years. Thankfully, this last 6 months we gained 4 or 5 new members which was a great boost to Kanturk Men’s Shed.

Tell us about the community achievements led out by the Men’s Shed?

Our success in the community comes from been involved in community projects over the years. We made 16 Park Benches for the play park and set them in concrete bases, we made the Christmas Crib which is the main focal point in O’Brien St Park over the Christmas period, and we made numerous flower planters which are lined out all over the place and filled yearly by the tidy towns so there just a few of our community projects.

With all the other Men’s Sheds around the county, would Kanturk Men’s Shed be the stronger one?

Strength wise vs other Men’s Sheds in the county, it’s a hard call but I’d say that Kanturk Mens Shed is definitely as strong as any in the county and once we move to our new home – Kanturk Old Fire Station – and re-develop it, we would have huge plans for the future and expect to get a lot stronger in terms of what we do and how we help out with men’s health etc.

With all the events around Kanturk, how did you find time?

Basically, we never looked out at any other group and what they do. We focus on our own events like our Christmas Fair and our Darkness into Light walk, and over the years our Christmas fair has proven to be one of the biggest and best supported fairs in the area. In the near future, we plan to maybe hold a coffee morning etc.

With all charities the Men’s Shed organise, what fundraising events would ye do?

Our fundraising for Charities; basically we run the Darkness into Light walk in aid of Pieta House every May, and its a huge event and well supported.

Two years back, we held a fundraiser for a guy called Padraig O’Keeffe and his dog Cooper, a K9 search and rescue dog who went to Ukraine in search of bodies due to the war with Russia. We raised €6852.02 by holding a bucket collection in Kanturk Town one Saturday, and it helped cover his costs for a few months.

Twelve months previous, we held another fundraiser for a member of our Shed who had a house fire. We called it the Mannix House Fire Fundraiser and raised close on €14,000 again by a bucket collection in the town of Kanturk one Saturday so we have been useful in helping those in need in more ways than one.

Tell me about getting Most Physically Active Shed?

Getting the Most Physically Active Shed was a huge boost for us at the Men’s Shed event held in Cork in January.

It showed just how much we do as in projects for the community, projects for people who ask help in making or repairing stuff for them, and of course our Poly Tunnel – a 50ft by 20ft tunnel – is an incredible project we took on 2 years back. It involved serious land cleaning before erecting our tunnel and getting it laid out ready for its 1st planting this coming spring. That was one of our greatest achievements due to every member getting stuck into it over a period of time. Possibly the reason why we got the Most Physically Active Shed for all the work we done vs some Men’s Sheds maybe focusing more on relaxing time together when opened.

By Plugging the Shed around the Duhallow area, will you get more volunteer members on board?

Plugging Men’s Shed in Duhallow is never really an issue. We don’t go searching for members unless we know them, and maybe while in conversation we would mention it to them. Mostly new members would have heard or read about us and just make contact. For example, some of the new members lately just moved into local townlands and inquired about activities and were told of Kanturk Men’s Shed so obviously our name is out there with the public.

Tell us more about your Christmas Market?

Christmas events for us is a huge bonus as our Christmas fair is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we raised over €3,000 from

last year’s fair. We then make that night a night out for us, and usually go for Dinner and a few drinks and sing song after the fair is over; as I say, our Christmas party. Then we try to help the lights committee in setting up the Christmas lights in town and take them down again after Christmas so it’s a busy time of year for the men involved.

Tell us about the Men’s Shed outings?

Our outing over the year is the highlight of our summer which we started 2 years ago. We went to Cobh and visited Spike Island before having dinner in the Commodore Hotel and then going onto Middleton Distillery; a fantastic adventure.

Last summer we went to Kinsale and started with a harbour cruise before having lunch in the Acton Hotel and then going onto Charles Fort which was another huge success and time out for all the guys. We finish off our day out with a few drinks and sing song. This is a very important bonding day for all involved.

In the Men’s Shed, have the Shed any favourite Legends of all time?

It’s hard to call on our favourite legends, I suppose everyone has their own but for me having dealt with and fundraised for Padraig O’Keeffe and his K9 search and rescue dog Cooper, he gets my plaudits.

I feel everyone chooses their legend through sports, but for me, offering there services in finding bodies in a bombed country where they risked their own lives deserves the highest accolade. Outside of these heroics, Padraig was an absolute gentleman who’s passion set him on his own path in life and one he followed to the end.

Members of the Kanturk Men’s Shed in front of their dedicated Polytunnel