Connemara Beekeepers

31/05/2026

JOIN US FOR AN EXCITING AFTERNOON OF BEEKEEPING EDUCATION

The Native Irish Honey Bee Society is delighted to invite you to a Bee Improvement & Queen Rearing Workshop at John Summerville’s Apiary, Clonminch, Tullamore, Co. Offaly R35H7K4

This hands-on workshop will explore practical techniques to help support, strengthen, and improve our treasured Native Irish Honey Bee colonies
An afternoon of learning, discussion, and practical demonstrations
Please look out for the NIHBS Bee Signs to guide you to the venue.

IMPORTANT ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
✔ Clean bee suit and boots
✔ Nitrile gloves only (strictly no exceptions)
✔ No veil = no admittance
✔ Full bee suits are mandatory — bees are flying in this apiary for your safety

Whether you are experienced in queen rearing or simply interested in learning more about sustainable beekeeping and protecting Ireland’s native honey bee, this promises to be an informative and enjoyable event.

Your support and participation make a real difference in helping preserve and promote the Native Irish Honey Bee for future generations.

We look forward to welcoming you all!

18/05/2026

20/04/2026

Well done to the for clearly stating their stance on bee imports.

For every beekeeper in the UK—hobbyist or commercial—the risk of importing exotic pests and diseases (including tropilaelaps)is genuinely frightening. Once something like that gets a foothold, it’s not “someone else’s problem” — it’s all of ours.

The uncomfortable truth is this: we don’t currently breed enough UK bees in the UK to meet demand, so imports keep filling the gap.

But here’s the good news: we can change that.

We already have:
- the skills (across bee farmers, hobbyists and association apiaries)
- the local knowledge
- and the bee stock here in the UK

What we need now is momentum and coordination—especially at local level.

A challenge (and an invitation) to every local association
If your association doesn’t have a breeding programme yet, push for one. Ask the question at meetings. Volunteer to help. Encourage your association apiary to make it a priority. Even small, consistent steps—queen rearing, selection, drone flooding, record-keeping—add up quickly when lots of groups do them together.

Because imports won’t stop until demand stops.

We’re continuing our own breeding programme, and we’re going to share more of the journey than ever before—what’s working, what isn’t, and what we’re learning along the way.

We’re proud to stand with BBKA and BIBBA in supporting UK-bred bees and reducing reliance on imports.

If you’re already involved in local breeding efforts, tell us what your association is doing. If you’re not—this is your nudge to start the conversation.

23/03/2026

THE board of Inishturk Community Development Company has approved a proposal by Dr. Sean O’Connor, founder of Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead, to establish a native Irish honey bee sanctuary on Inishturk island, with the project set to begin next month.

23/02/2026

There’s a wonderful line on the wall behind Gerard in this photo:
“The beekeeper must first of all be a bee lover or he will never succeed.”
It’s a simple truth, and one that sits right at the heart of what our Beginners Course is about.
Beekeeping starts with an interest, but it only really grows when that interest becomes care for the bees, for their welfare, and for the environment they depend on. Skills and knowledge can be learned step by step, but that respect for the bees themselves is what shapes someone into a good beekeeper.
Gerard has been guiding this year’s beginners through those first essential steps, sharing both practical knowledge and the mindset that underpins responsible beekeeping. It’s great to see new beekeepers starting out on that journey here in Connemara.
A lovely moment from the course and a reminder that before anything else, we keep bees because we value them.

19/02/2026