Cavan Women’s shed marks one year

The Women’s Shed in Cavan is celebrating its first anniversary this month.

One of the founders Eithne Gurhy spoke to the Celt about the group’s successes over the past year and what they have planned for the future.

A nurse all her life, Eithne loves to be involved in different social activities and recalled the very first meeting of the women’s group in Cavan. Along with Marion O’Reilly they organised the first meeting and sat waiting, wondering if anybody would come to the event at the community centre in Bridge Street.

“They kept coming and coming up the stairs, we had I think 65 women who arrived the very first day.”

They now have over one hundred ladies attending the shed, with about fifty attending each week.

The Cavan native described how the group gathers for a cup of tea or coffee and some sweet treats, sometimes with guest speakers attending.

“To see the banter between the women, it is just incredible. You have no idea what it means to them. The amount of people who have come and said to us, ‘my God, this is just incredible, I so look forward to every Thursday!’”

They meet weekly on a Thursday at the hall in Terry Coyle Park at around 10:15am until 12:30pm.

To date, talks and activities have included mental health, a speaker from Citizens Advice, a legal secretary, CPR, quizzes, aroma therapy, nutrition advice, talks on women’s cancer, retrofitting homes, mindfulness, wreath making and a talk from An Garda Síochána, among others.

They also organise various activities throughout the year including lunches, a tour of Lough Oughter, Pergola Nursery, Balmoral Show, the Carraig Gardens, the Grand Canal in Clones, line dancing and chair exercises among other activities.

“I thought the idea of setting up a women’s shed would be just great for the town,” the Cavan woman said.

“People coming are free to come and go.

If they don’t feel like coming, that’s absolutely fine - it’s just whatever suits them.

“There may be a lot of people who are living on their own who don’t actually know about it, they might be lonely or maybe mightn’t have many friends or whatever.”

There is a lift installed in the hall for people who need it. The shed hopes to host a party to celebrate its first year on November 28.

Those wishing to join can go to the hall at the Terry Coyle Park in Cavan or contact Eithne on 086-303 2941 for further information.

“I’m absolutely just delighted because so many people have came and said I so look forward to this.

“A lot of women, even myself, we just don’t meet up as regularly so a lot of them have said actually this has opened up a door for me.”