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frost New Bee
Joined: 04 Jul 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Ireland
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:01 pm Post subject: natural beekeeping network ireland |
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Just finished a 2 day course run by Phil Chandler here in Glenealy Co Wicklow Ireland, at Carraig Dulra organic & permaculture farm (http://www.dulra.org).
It seems to me that there is a growing critical mass of natural beekeepers in Ireland, I know Aoife has a group in Co Donegal, we had a group trained in Biodynamic Beekeeping by Michael Weiler a few years ago, and now the 15 people who attended this weekend's course in Co Wicklow.
I set up www.bees.ie for Irish beekeepers after attending the Biiodynamic beekeeping course a few years ago. There's a small forum area including an area specifically for natural beekeeping:
http://bees.ie/forum/natural-beekeeping
There is also a dedicated area for beekeeping groups and associations, including natural beekeepers here:
http://bees.ie/groups/natural-beekeeping
The site is there to support Irish natural beekeepers to communicate and learn from and share with each other, so if you want more features please post your suggestions there.
Mike Cahn
Carraig Dulra organic & permaculture farm
Co Wicklow, IRELAND |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Your site looks good, hopefully it will grow in the coming months after the success of the course.
I had planned to come up for the course with a few others beekeepers (some of us have HTBs and Warres) down here in Kerry but sadly it wasnt possible. I enjoyed listening to Phils podcast of the day though.
I hope some sort of event can be organised in the coming years to facilitate networking and communication between natural beekeepers around Ireland it would be most beneficial for all of us I think - a sort of natural/sustainable/permaculture alternative to Gormanstown summer school. There a rising tide of beekeepers who are beginning to question modern beekeeping methods in Ireland, in no small part due to the economic state of the country and the ridiclous costs involved in modern beekeeping, its pretty much cheaper now for the majority of beekeepers here to buy your honey from a beekeeper than to produce it yourself using modern beekeeping equipment. And thats only the economic side of things, nevermind all of the honey-bee health issues and honey-quality issues.
I myself know of beekeepers like this in Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare and Athlone, I can only imagine the real numbers out there. It is definitely necessary to create some sort of network. People are coming from all different sort of beekeeping backgrounds - some with nationals, commericals or langs and who want to keep a TBH or two or some who have transitioned all there colonies to TBHs and some who favour warres over htbhs or vice versa. Im sure if some sort of network can be established we can all learn from eachother. We certainly are not going to get any support from our local associations, as I learned the hard way myself.
If I might make a small suggestion for your site (bees.ie) - it is in real need of graphical improvement and perhaps a more user-friendly interface, but besides that most excellent - will be joining up myself asap. |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1059 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:33 am Post subject: |
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I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and would be happy to come back to Ireland if invited.
A volunteer in has offered to co-ordinate Friends of the Bees RoI so hopefully that can become a focus for activity. It would be great to see some Bee Friendly Zones appearing on the Emerald Isle! |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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biobee wrote: | I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and would be happy to come back to Ireland if invited. |
Oh you will be!! - Did you get to 'sample' the Guinness? |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1059 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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AnthonyD wrote: |
Oh you will be!! - Did you get to 'sample' the Guinness? |
No, but I look forward to doing it justice next time! |
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frost New Bee
Joined: 04 Jul 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Ireland
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:38 am Post subject: |
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AnthonyD wrote: | It is definitely necessary to create some sort of network. |
Yes, how do you think we should move this forward? |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Frost, I think some sort of association should be set up (a bit more formal than what you have on your site if you dont mind me saying) but first obviously a national conference type event (perhaps in a hotel) - guest speakers etc, with a dedicated effort on our own parts to secure as many beekeepers of like mind to attend, some sort of colourful leaflet in the post would be a good idea to start.
Perhaps at such an event, a constitution could be drawn up, a set of goals and aims set down and elected officers appointed (chairperson, secretary, education etc) and perhaps similar meetings set for once or twice a year in some central city/town - not Dublin...lol
But thats obviously just a few ideas. Im sure there are much better ones out there.
Theres obviously a lot of problems with another national association. Fibka obviously have things like insurance cover etc, and that small buckfast association apparently has insurance from some german crowd - weird site if you ever come across it, half the site is in german (the owner/founder is german) you should see the attacks she/he makes on fibka....wow
Anyways I digress, you can PM me for contact details if you like, like I say I know a few beekeepers who might be interested and many more who are interested in starting beekeeping, but in a more sustainable, bee- friendly fashion.
And I suppose it goes without saying that all this has to come from core-group of dedicated people or one very dedicated person, for it to work, so we will have to take it to the next level if we decide to go ahead with it. |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1059 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Friends of the Bees Ireland will be launched from its RoI base fairly soon and could become a focus if you want it to. We may be able to negotiate insurance using the UK policy as leverage. I will announce more when I know it, but PM me if you want to discuss. |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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biobee wrote: | Friends of the Bees Ireland will be launched from its RoI base fairly soon and could become a focus if you want it to. We may be able to negotiate insurance using the UK policy as leverage. I will announce more when I know it, but PM me if you want to discuss. |
Thanks Phil that gives me great hope. Its very kind of you to help us all out. |
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triscleeire Nurse Bee
Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Ireland - East Clare
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:00 pm Post subject: Irish group |
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Hello Mike,
there is not much happening on your site yet. I have sent out a mailer to members of the Banner Beekeepers in Co Clare to see if there is any interest in the hTBH.
I will mention your website for sure.
Thanks for your efforts and I hope there will be a few likeminded beeks in Ireland soon that can network and help others.
Stiofan |
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chook-in-eire Foraging Bee
Joined: 23 Jun 2011 Posts: 129 Location: Ireland, Co. Clare
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:16 am Post subject: |
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This spring the Chairman of the Banner Beeks was here to buy some hatching eggs (of chickens!) and by chance beekeeping came up. He offered to do a split from our National (broodbox only) into the Warré, so I think there may be fertile ground alright.
Incidentally he was also quite taken by the brimming health and fat bees of the completely unmanaged colony.
Re Mike's forum: To be quite honest, fora need critical mass and between this forum and the Warré list (and perhaps there are other TBH lists out there?) I wonder is an Irish forum going to gather momentum, especially since there are many UK beeks present here and conditions are so similar and given that it is difficult to achieve critical mass for anything at all on this small isle  _________________ To Bee. |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:22 am Post subject: |
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chook-in-eire wrote: |
Re Mike's forum: To be quite honest, fora need critical mass and between this forum and the Warré list (and perhaps there are other TBH lists out there?) I wonder is an Irish forum going to gather momentum, especially since there are many UK beeks present here and conditions are so similar and given that it is difficult to achieve critical mass for anything at all on this small isle  |
Its true I've thought of this myself, however there are clearly enough of us out there to warrant some sort of a...support group lol
Perhaps a good idea would be to start an emailing list. I simply havent the time to manage such a thing, but perhaps someone else can? Then perhaps something can grow out of that.
I can see no reason why we cant have an annual meeting of all like minded beekeepers in the country and if I might add the age range of the natural-orientated beekeepers and those interested that I know is younger than those attending Gormanstown!! Im in my twenties and I know two others in their early thirties.
Perhaps its because as a generation we are less attached to traditions of the past (although I respect good traditions, but not merely because they are traditions) and more inclined to question than to accept what we are told blindly.
Look I say an email mailing list first. If anyone decides to start one, PM me for my address. |
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Cie Foraging Bee

Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 242 Location: UK, Wiltshire, Amesbury
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:42 am Post subject: |
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AnthonyD wrote: | Look I say an email mailing list first. |
These really are incredibly simple to setup and run, they pretty much run themselves. Should you all decide you want one, but think you don't have the "ability" to do it then please just ask and I'll set one up for you. _________________ Ciemon
Just another Warréor
[url=http://simplebees.wordpress.com] Simple Bees [/url] & [url=http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/warrebeekeeping/] Warré beekeeping [/url] |
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triscleeire Nurse Bee
Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Ireland - East Clare
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:41 am Post subject: Irish Natural Beek Yahoo Group |
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We could create a Yahoo group which would allow anyone to email all members and which can be used as a platform to exchange files, pictures, event info, etc.
I am happy to set one up and moderate it. Please anybody interested send me a PM with your email address and I will send an email back with an invitation to that group.
Would Irish Natural Beek be a good name? Any other suggestions? |
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AnthonyD Silver Bee
Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 707 Location: County Kerry Ireland
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds good triscleeire!
Irish Natural Beekeepers sounds great, or you could use a derivation of it whatever you like. e.g natural beekeepers of Ireland, natural beekeeping Ireland, Irish Natural beekeeping
Although we might end up branded like that American fellow(although he is self-branded) 'backwards beekeepers Ireland'
Ill pm you later. |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1059 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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May I suggest you cluster around the about-to-be launched Friends of the Bees Ireland? If only because that way I can channel some funding into getting things moving over there.
It would be a community-owned thing, not a centrally-dictated agenda.
You could have a sub-domain of your own on the FotB site and co-ordinate activities from there.
Just a suggestion. |
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chook-in-eire Foraging Bee
Joined: 23 Jun 2011 Posts: 129 Location: Ireland, Co. Clare
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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I think that's a marvellous idea, Phil. _________________ To Bee. |
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triscleeire Nurse Bee
Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Ireland - East Clare
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:28 pm Post subject: Meeting in Clare |
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I know it is very short notice but a few likeminded beeks are meeting at Irish Seed Savers in Feakle, East Clare tomorrow, Tuesday August 21st at 6 p.m.
Just in case anybody in the vicinity was interested.
Stiofan |
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chook-in-eire Foraging Bee
Joined: 23 Jun 2011 Posts: 129 Location: Ireland, Co. Clare
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Stiofan, can't make it but will be there in spirit. Say 'Hi' please.
Ute _________________ To Bee. |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1059 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:38 am Post subject: |
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The plan for Friends of the Bees Ireland did not materialize as hoped, but may yet do so at a different location. TBA |
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Beeblebrox Guard Bee
Joined: 25 Sep 2010 Posts: 80 Location: UK - north Oxfordshire
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Ireland is famous for having lots of pure Amm (Black Bee) enthusiasts, which overlaps natural beekeeping principles, so you will probably get a lot of interest. The trick will be, though, not just building numbers but getting people who will do stuff!
About 2/3 of the natural beekeeping groups seem to sputter out eventually, largely because one person is key and they have a lifestyle change (job move, etc) and can no longer do the admin. |
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