The men’s shed movement was first founded in Australia in the 1980’s, and have since expanded to other countries including Ireland, the UK, America, Canada, Iceland and Estonia to name a few.

Ireland has becoming one of the leading nations for men’s sheds in recent years, with Ireland having the most sheds per capita. Currently, there are over 450 sheds in Ireland, with at least 10,000 men visiting a shed every week.

All sheds are independent and self-autonomous, and the range of activities carried out by sheds differ from the next. Most sheds engage in activities such as woodwork, gardening, carpentry and community work. However, there are more special interests sheds that focus on things like music, fishing and restoration work.