Men's Shed play impromptu gigs at Limerick nursing home

A MEN’S SHED in Limerick is giving impromptu concerts for residents of a nearby nursing home.

Every month, members of the Dooradoyle/Raheen Men’s Shed travel the short distance from their base at Maypark to St Paul’s Nursing Home to perform for the 80-or-so residents who live there.

Shed chairman Sean Dalton said management at the nursing home requested they come over to entertain those staying in there.

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“We take ukuleles, guitars, mandolins, fiddles, you name it. We usually have around a dozen of our members going over there. And the residents love it, they absolutely adore it,” he said.

On the playlist, Sean added, is everything from Johnny Cash to The Beatles, The Eagles and everything in between.

“You name it, we play it. We also throw in a bit of Irish trad,” he said.

There was one heartwarming moment the last time the Men’s Shed members were in the nursing home, he recalled.

“There is one man in there who has severe dementia. He sang and he knew the words to every song. He was sitting in front of me, and he sang along to the words of all the songs after. When I chatted with him, he was really emotional after. It really made his day,” Sean explained.

He said experiences like this make being part of a Men’s Shed all the more worthwhile.

“We have a strong committee and we work very hard. We have to make sure the place is funded as we do not get government funding. We get grants from time to time. Every now and then you get very tired. But when you see something like this, it melts your heart. It's something we are very proud of. It means an awful lot,” he concluded.

Men’s Shed members have been polishing up on their musical skills, as well as yoga, wood carving and smart technology.