An Irishman and an Australian walk into a shed.

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but instead, what transpired has been one of the most rapidly growing social movements in Ireland.

In 2009, Irish community development worker John Evoy found the idea for men's sheds on the internet. It wasn't long until he found himself in a shed in Creswick, just outside Ballarat.

'It was a simple shed, rundown, just timber, not great roofs or walls. We turned up early one morning, and there were already guys waiting to get in.'

'You could see how much this battered old building meant to these guys.

'It was a real moment when I realised what this could mean; that men would line up to get into a shitty old shed just because they craved that interaction'

'It was a real 'a-ha!' moment', Mr Evoy said.

Now the head of the Irish Men's Shed Association, Mr Evoy says he immediately knew the idea would translate across countries.

'It was such a simple and basic idea that made so much sense and achieved so many positive outcomes.

'The simplicity of it, and practicality of it was brilliant. Every project didn't cost thousands of euros, it was quite achievable.'

With over 200 Irish men's sheds, and an average of one opening every week, it's fast becoming an alternative for the stereotypical pub-dwelling, drinking Irishman.

'We've been described as a pub with no beer.

'During the recession, lots of guys didn't have the same money they normally had, so spending money in pubs became a luxury instead of an everyday occurrence. Men's sheds became the equivalent. They are no cost, where the guys do something constructive and positive. I think Ireland needs a space for men that isn't a pub, that's positive and not alcohol fuelled.'

There are now 220 sheds across Ireland, and a further 80 across the UK; along with more than 800 in Australia.

The head of the Australian Men's Shed Association, David Helmers, says the international growth has been an astonishing success.

'We have seen sheds in as far away as Alaska,' he said.

'We are exporting social technology.

'It's a true testimony of the success of this Australian innovation in dealing with male health through the prevention of social isolation.'