‘A Honey Show’!! Never thought it would happen! It was a poor year for the bees, I spent the summer in raincoat and wellingtons what were the bees wearing when they gathered the few pots of honey we robbed from them, it wakes me up at night thinking about it!!!
Well it can be said everybody was surprised! We arrived, some of us left the honey in the car, more took it along in a bag not really knowing what to expect. The jars that looked respectable found themselves on a table in the reception area picked up and being examined, nobody knowing what they were looking for. Steadily they grew from one table then four. Let’s take them to the front of the meeting, Redmond suggested! No sooner said than done. We found ourselves looking at a man clad in a white coat and a hat to suit, suddenly what was a bit of craic turned seriously into a competition! Not really we were going to be advised by an expert on how honey is judged, what’s the requirements for competitions and what the judges are looking for! Wow a lot to learn!! You guessed it my honey in the jam pot went down like a lead balloon. No prizes this time! but we had first, second, third and fourth places winners. Well done!! An enjoyable night was had by all. Thanks Redmond you are pencilled in for another episode.
Surprise’s awaited us!! –We have show winners amongst us.
Dermot Ó Flaherty Westport Beekeepers Assocation’s Treasurer presents Colm Mannion with his first prize award and trophies for winning the best frame of honey in the ‘Foto Honey Show’ Co Cork. His frame also won best overall exhibit at the show. Colm’s brother Shane’s frame was highly commended at the same show. Colm’s frame of Honey beat some of the best honey show exhibiters of Ireland to win second place at the Clonmel Honey show in Tipperary. So good is the quality of the frames, the Mannion brothers will be entering them into the London honey show later this month, this show is one of the best in the world, with contestants from all over the British Isles and mainland Europe. Accompanying him in the picture is his father Edward and Shane his brother. GOOD LUCK LADS 🙂
Check out the London honey show here: http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/
Southampton scientists probe link between diesel and bee decline!
“Bees contribute £430m to the UK economy, researchers said”
Possible links between diesel fumes and collapsing honey bee colonies are being investigated by scientists, Read more………………
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Pat McGrath reports on the boom in beekeeping, with a look at a dedicated area in Co Mayo where locals learn what’s involved in managing an apiary,
Click here to listen to interview…http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/player.html?20111004,3070128,3070128,flash,257
Next meeting Tuesday night 4th October 2011 – 6.30pm.
- 7.00pm: “Westport members honey show” (All entries must be on the stand by 7pm. Judge: R Williams)
- (A bit of craic no matter how good or bad the honey is or what sort of a jar it’s in!)
- 7.30pm: “Demonstration of frame making” (Henry Horkan, Dermot Ó Flaherty) {Cancelled}
- 8.00pm: “Beekeeping for Beginners and Experts”
- “A Photo Montage”
- “Question and answer session and debate”
- Presented by:” Redmond Williams” CFL, Tipperary.
(Redmond is one of Ireland’s best beekeepers and is known as the Bee Whisperer in Ireland! He is known for talking to his Bees telling them to bring in more honey (Anything from 4 to 8 supers on a hive every year). Yes the Bees listen to him and do his bidding. He is one of the very few beekeepers able to do “I. I. Insemination in Ireland”. He keeps over 50 colonies but knows how to make them sing!)
Redmond and his daughter Emma cleaned up at the biggest honey show in Clonmel last weekend where all the major players in the honey showing business took part indeed he scooped the overall points prize at the show beating Gerry and Mary Ryan and John Summerville into 2nd and third place! “Congrats” (we have alot to learn!!)
Redmond will have 100 jars of honey for sale on the night! (My Request)
“We were at the ploughing!”
Caught on camara on “The Federation of Irish Beekeepers Association’s” stand at the National Ploughing Championship 2011, in Athy, Co. Kildare, were from left to right:partialy hidden Eamonn Baynes, Gerry Ryan, Aisling Kennedy, “Irish Honey Queen 2011 – 2012” Michael Gleeson, and Padraic Baynes.
