The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) is a diverse network of individuals and organisations, men and women, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Forum was established in 1999, and operates on an all-island basis. MHFI was established in response to the growing recognition of the need to address the poor health status of males in Ireland. However, one of the first challenges facing it was to gain access to reliable data upon which to plan future interventions. This remains an ongoing concern - as the Forum seeks to work in an evidence informed way. This barrier was, initially, overcome when MHFI launched its seminal Men’s Health in Ireland report in January 2004. This document provided the most comprehensive overview of key statistics on men’s health on the island of Ireland ever collated up to that time. It offered clear evidence of local males’ health needs, and a roadmap for action. Importantly, it also provided a baseline against which to measure progress in the future.