Mountmellick Men’s Shed hosts South Korean delegation

MOUNTMELLICK men’s shed became the focus of an international visit recently when a South Korean delegation travelled from the Seoul Capital Area to learn how the town’s shed helps older men stay active, connected and involved after retirement.

Their arrival brought an international spotlight to Mountmellick at the two renovated prefabs on Sarsfield Street behind Mountmellick Community Arts Centre.

Mountmellick members welcomed their guests and guided them through the woodworking area, art displays and social space, explaining the routines and projects that give the group purpose. The visitors heard how members created an accessible space for practical work, creativity and conversation.

The delegation heard how members pooled resources together to buy, join and renovate the prefabs, which they own. During the mingling, the hosts showed how the workshop’s bandsaws, lathes and hand tools are used to make furniture, bird boxes, flower planters and the likes, including items for the local tidy towns committee.

The scent of timber, shelves of tools and rows of finished pieces gave the visitors a vivid picture of a shed built through patience and shared effort. In the adjoining area, colourful landscape paintings and other creative work revealed another side of the group’s talents.

The delegation included Heekyung Kim, Wonmin Kim, Sangmin Kim, Minjoo Jee and Saerom Han and travelling with them and escorting the group was Maurice O’Driscoll, national operations manager of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association. The visitors were also met by Laois Public Participation Network co-ordinator Dan Bergin.

Although the men’s shed organisation was founded in Australia during the early 1990s and there are over 3,300 sheds operating worldwide in 12 countries, the visitors chose Ireland because Ireland boasts the highest number of men’s sheds per capita in the world. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association says there are more than 450 sheds across Ireland, with at least 10,000 men visiting a shed every week.

The delegation wanted to learn from a strong, established movement as it explores ways to tackle isolation among older men in South Korea. For men in South Korea, retirement can bring an abrupt loss of workplace routine and social contact and the delegation has been tasked to find out all it can about the running of men’s sheds with a view to the development of a similar network back at home.

In men’s sheds, practical projects and informal conversations can help reduce loneliness and support mental wellbeing. A simple job at the workbench can open the door to laughter, advice or a quiet word between friends. That easy companionship is very much a huge part of men’s sheds.

The South Korean visitors are very grateful to the Mountmellick shedders and to other sheds that they visited on their journey. Mountmellick was the only men’s shed in Laois that the delegation visited during their trip to Ireland.

The visit ended over tea, biscuits and chat with Mountmellick members, who are proud to have shared a community model that could soon influence policy over 8,000 kilometres away. Mountmellick men's shed can be found on Facebook and new members are always welcome. For more information, email mountmellickmensshed@gmail.com.