Tales from Beaufort, Social Beekeepers!
It is the year 2020. It is a dark and cold February night. The crowds are pouring into the warm and cosy country bar in Beaufort. It is just like hundreds of foragers coming back from their quest of finding the best source of food. There is a pleasant and exciting atmosphere in the room as everybody is eager to see what will happen on this special night.
Sometime later only a few workers remain in the room of the over seventy beekeepers present that night. The buzz and laughter of the night are still in the air. What a night it was!
What happened?
On the 6th of February 2020 the Beaufort Beekeepers’ Association hosted the 1st Kerry Beekeepers’ Gathering. The evening with the motto “Show and Tell” was open to all Kerry Beekeeper Associations.
There were also guests and speakers from our friends in Dunmanway, Co. Cork. The overall aim was to bring like-minded people together and talk about practical knowledge and beekeeping techniques. It was a meeting prepared by beekeepers for beekeepers. Nothing fancy just our very own association members sharing their enormous knowledge.
The night itself and the feedback was so tremendous that I thought it was worth while writing about that night. If you want to know more and see some pictures just visit our website.
Let me tell you that this article is not only about our favourite hobby. I am not writing about the complexity of the world of bees, a brood and a half or the best varroa treatment. I am writing about the social importance of beekeeper associations. I write about what you can achieve with a great committee and amazing members and I hope you are inspired to make a change in your association.
Beekeeping has always been an important activity in Beaufort, Co. Kerry and has been practiced by people in the area for hundreds of years.
We are pleased to present our first Honeybee Calendar, which is the results of a seasonal photo competition amongst our members.
The calendar is for beekeepers, their families and all friends of the honeybee. We also will give free copies to local schools and beekeeping beginners. This is happily done in line with our objective to raise public awareness on the importance of bees and beekeeping to the environment.
If you are interested please contact the club on 
Over 70 beekeepers attended the 1st Kerry Beekeepers’ Gathering at the Beaufort Bar in Beaufort last night. The Beaufort Beekeepers hosted the event and are delighted with the turn out with beekeepers representing their respective clubs travelling from Dunmanway, Beara Peninsula, Killorglin, Castleisland, Dingle and Tralee. The night was a great success and hopefully a precursor to future gatherings of Beekeeping associations in the West-Cork/Kerry area. The event was attended by Beekeepers of all levels and as intended, information and practices shared amongst the clubs.
