Moate Men's Shed opens craft shop

Moate Men's Shed has opened a craft shop at its home in the centre of the town to showcase and sell handmade clocks, pens, rocking horses, vases and planters.

Based at Chester Lodge along Main Street, the shop is open on Tuesdays and Fridays between 2pm and 4pm to coincide with the times that the group meets up.

“We decided at the AGM (to open the shop). We were looking for an outlet to make a few bob. We came up with the idea to use the front room as a shop, it's a way of fundraising for us,” Vice-Chairperson Patsy McCormack tells the Westmeath Independent.

All of the handmade pieces are very reasonably priced in comparison to shops, he added, and they are available to take on custom orders or commissions from the public.

While the men's shed was closed for the majority of the pandemic, it is now back meeting up twice a week, and Patsy says it is back at around 75% capacity with some older members a bit reluctant to come back yet, but hopefully soon.

During the lockdown, several members built a greenhouse at the back of the base, courtesy of funding from Westmeath County Council, where they grow flowers for Dún na Sí and Moate Tidy Towns. They also installed an outdoor area where people could meet informally and safely for a chat.

Among the activities they participate in include woodturning in their two workshops, making bird tables, window boxes, planters and clocks, all now for sale in their shop. There has been a “huge reaction” to the handmade pieces, says Patsy, and members are delighted with that. Some had no woodturning experience when they came in, one, in particular, he says could not hang a picture is now throwing himself into all kinds of woodwork projects.

“The other thing we do is restore old farm machinery, it's linked into Dún na Sí because I'm involved there. The latest piece was a coal weighing scales, probably from the 1950s, from Gillivan's shop which closed and that was restored by members and is now gone to Dún na Sí,” explains Patsy, who says aside from the activities, the shed is just a great social outlet for men where there is plenty of chat and craic.

“It's an absolute given that tea has to be made when everyone comes in,” he jokes, saying it is a very relaxing place with plenty of camaraderie where everyone brings something different to the table in terms of skills and experience, thanking Westmeath County Council for their ongoing support.

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