Killoe Men's Shed's new Longford premises unveiled at open day

Killoe Men’s Shed marked the opening of their new shed premises, with an open day last Saturday. The distinction of cutting the ribbon went to Frank Kiernan, who was instrumental in securing the new site, and the day turned out to be a celebration of new beginnings and interest.

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With the Killoe Men’s Shed starting in February, 2017, the new Shed site opened on December 13, 2025. Altogether, it had taken the group eight to nine months to get the new shed up and running, and the open day took place from 11am until 3pm, with a night-time fundraising draw in The Olde Forge Bar in Killoe where fifteen prizes were up for grabs.

“The last 8-9 months, we’ve done a tremendous effort to get it up and running,” said Sean Murray, the secretary of the Killoe Men’s Shed. “The biggest highlight was when Frank Kiernan cut the ribbon to officially open, as well as the plaque. We erected a plaque in memory of six members who passed away. It was a sad and proud moment. People were represented by some members of their family.”

Members from Longford County Council showed up to give support, as well as the local community.

“It was a great day and an awful large crowd come along and it generated plenty of local interest,” added Sean.

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The new shed has all the facilities needed for woodworking and doing practical projects, but the Men’s Shed is not all about work-related activities. There are social Thursday nights to chat, play games like darts, pool and cards, and have connections with people. New members can join via the Killoe Men’s Shed Facebook or their webpage.

The Killoe Men’s Shed thanks everyone who gave donations, to the venues that hosted the fundraisers, the community, all businesses who donate sponsorship, the publicity they received and the Kiernan family.