More Than a Cuppa – Shine A Light on Wexford’s Women’s Sheds

Friendship, laughter, learning new skills and simply having somewhere to belong – this week Shine A Light is celebrating the growing Women’s Shed movement across County Wexford.

For many women, walking through the door of a local group can lead to far more than a weekly cup of tea.

It can mean new friendships, getting out of the house, trying something completely new, rediscovering confidence and perhaps most importantly, knowing there is somewhere you can go where you will be welcomed.

For this special edition of Shine A Light, Siobhan Murphy speaks to women from three very different groups across County Wexford – the Delightful Dollies in Enniscorthy, Tomhaggard Women’s Shed and New Ross Women’s Shed – about what these groups have come to mean in their lives.

In Enniscorthy, the Delightful Dollies have been bringing local women together for well over a decade.

The group has provided a social outlet for women in the area with friendship and fun very much at its heart. Over the years its members have enjoyed outings, bingo, dancing, crafts and plenty of opportunities simply to meet and enjoy one another’s company.

But the Dollies are also very much part of the wider community.

Their fundraising has supported local causes, while they have taken part in community events and creative projects – including a recent collaboration which recorded members’ childhood memories through art.

What becomes clear when talking to the women themselves is that behind the activities is something even more important – connection.

It is somewhere to laugh, somewhere to talk, somewhere to make friends and somewhere to know that other women are there for you.

Further south, Tomhaggard Women’s Shed has developed into an important part of its local community since being established in 2015.

From its beginnings as a place where women could socialise and learn from one another, the group has grown to offer everything from arts and crafts to creative writing, classes, outings and other activities.

Its growth eventually led to the creation of An Tigín, a dedicated creative workspace giving the women a place of their own in which to meet and pursue their many interests.

The importance of that social connection became particularly evident during the pandemic, when members were separated for many months before eventually being able to meet face-to-face again.

For women who may be retired, widowed, living alone or simply looking to meet new people, the Shed offers something deceptively simple but enormously valuable – a reason to get out, meet others and be part of something.

In New Ross, the message is summed up beautifully in three words: “Mná supporting Mná.”

New Ross Women’s Shed has developed as a welcoming space where women of different ages and backgrounds can come together, build friendships, share skills and become involved in their community.

Activities have ranged from arts and crafts, flower arranging and gardening to music, health information, social events, outings and community volunteering.

The women have also become involved in wider initiatives in the town, showing that a Women’s Shed can be as much about contributing to the community as receiving support from it.

Earlier this year, members from New Ross and Tomhaggard were also among hundreds of women who gathered for the official launch of the Women’s Shed Organisation of Ireland – evidence of just how much the movement is continuing to grow.

The three groups may do things differently but the same themes run through every conversation.

Friendship. Confidence. Laughter. Purpose. Support. Belonging.

Sometimes combating loneliness does not begin with a major intervention.

Sometimes it begins with somebody saying: “Come in. Sit down. Have a cup of tea. You’re welcome here.”

And perhaps that is the real strength of the Women’s Shed movement.

It gives women permission to make time for themselves, to meet other women, to learn, laugh, talk and build friendships – without needing any other reason for being there.

This week on Shine A Light with Siobhan Murphy we hear directly from the women behind the Delightful Dollies, Tomhaggard Women’s Shed and New Ross Women’s Shed about the friendships they have formed, the experiences they have shared and why spaces like these continue to matter in communities across County Wexford.

Because sometimes the most powerful form of community support is simply making sure nobody has to feel alone.

This program is funded by the news reporting scheme