A COUNTY Men’s Shed that has been operating since 2018 in the Doon area is soon to become homeless, having been given their walking papers by a service whose creed is to “tackle rural and social isolation”.
The Doon and District Men’s Shed has more than 50 members and meets every day for activities ranging from making things for local schools and tidy towns to doing adult education courses.
Secretary of the Shed, Denis Duggan, told the Limerick Post “probably the most important thing we do in the Shed is to give people a chance to get together and talk over work or a cup of tea, to get out of the house. The Shed is a very important part of our members looking after their mental health.”
Operating from a premises in the convent secondary school in the village, the shed has become central to the lives of many members and even adult education courses in everything from art and woodwork to archery are held on-site under the auspices of the LCETB in Cappamore.
The members were shocked when they got a letter from the owners of the premises, Ballyhoura Rural Services, telling them their tenancy will end on November 24 and they have to vacate the premises by that date.
“We’ve been told that the building isn’t suitable under the fire regulations, the accessibility regulations,” said Denis.
“We’re here since 2018 and none of that was ever an issue before. We would be happy to work on bringing the building into line with regulations, but it seems the owners have other plans.”
Denis said that Ballyhoura have offered a building next door “but it’s in awful condition and there are four steps up to the front door. A lot of our members are older and they have mobility difficulties.”
The members have also been offered a shared space but with the level of activity, the secretary told the Limerick Post that “it just wouldn’t work. And it’s too small.”
“This Shed isn’t just important to the members – it’s also important to the local community. We’ve been involved with every local project that needs us, making bug hotels and benches for the school, projects for the Tidy Towns.
“Making us close up operations in our Shed is not going to do the members any good and it’s not going to do anything for the local community.”
John Walsh, Chairman of Ballyhoura Rural Services (BRS), told the Limerick Post that the service “has been working with the Shed and is anxious to continue working with them. I’m confident we will find an alternative solution.”
But, he said, it is vital that the members agree to vacate the current premises before work on an €8million plus housing and social development can begin.
Outlining the reasons for the notice to quit in a letter to the Men’s Shed, Mr Walsh said that the Board is “concerned with the lack of a fires cert, lack of planning permission, safety issues, lack of disability access cert, and potential building structural insurance impacts.”
Mr Walsh said that BRS has a duty to all who enter or use the building to ensure it is safe and “also has a duty to the wider Doon community, given the building’s highly visible position in the village and how it currently detracts from the streetscape”.
The letter also urged the Shed members to further consider the alternative accommodations that have been offered.
