North Tipperary Honey?

Sigma Force

Will check out the irish bee keeper site as well but does anyone here know if there's anyone selling honey in North Tipp.? Ideally Thurles area.

looder

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

Will check out the irish bee keeper site as well but does anyone here know if there's anyone selling honey in North Tipp.? Ideally Thurles area.

Without sounding stupid but can't you buy honey in a supermarket?

Don't Boyne Vally make it? - Also I think I seen another make of it in Aldi or Lidl.

Qualitymark

looder wrote: »

Without sounding stupid but can't you buy honey in a supermarket?

Don't Boyne Vally make it? - Also I think I seen another make of it in Aldi or Lidl.

Looder, if you eat honey from your own locality it's very good for stopping hayfever.

mikemac

Does noone use the Golden pages anymore?

http://www.goldenpages.ie/Honey/Galtee_Honey/IE_20527622_9999_1001

Galtee Honey
Burncourt Cahir Co. Tipperary
(052)7467205

Cahir is South Tipp but close enough.
Call them and ask where their products are stocked, it's a sales call so they will be helpful

Sigma Force

Boyne Valley and the like sound all Irishy but the stuffs only packed in Ireland.
It's for treating hayfever hence the more local the better, plus if Irish honey is available better on the old food miles.
Spotted a hive a bit down the road, just need to find out now who owns it and if it's producing.

bertie1

Ryans in Dundrum

Think the honey label is Ryans Fancy

jprboy

My grandfather (who died before I was born) used to keep bees here in North Tipp.

I've sometimes thought I should revive the tradition.

To be honest, my main concern would be the possibility of the kids getting stung.

Any advice?

My uncle is a beekeeper just outside Thurles and he like many others suffered from a really bad year and lost many of the bee's. I can certainly contact him tomorrow if you are interested and sure it might be no harm to have as a contact for further use.

Sure PM me if your interested

Grab All Association

NoDrama wrote: »

My uncle is a beekeeper just outside Thurles and he like many others suffered from a really bad year and lost many of the bee's. I can certainly contact him tomorrow if you are interested and sure it might be no harm to have as a contact for further use.

Sure PM me if your interested

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23287504 watching this on BBC news earlier looks like it will get worse

Qualitymark

Apparently the culprit is neonicotinoids, poisons used on seeds in farming, and on lawn treatments for vine weevils, etc. Here's a Japanese video about the effect there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaqPNmk1kZY&feature=share

A temporary ban in Europe starts in 2016, and I think lasts for two years; if that saves whatever bees are remaining, they may extend it, I suppose.

The companies that make these poisons don't want them banned, of course.

This piece

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/09/dan-rather-bee-pesticide

introduces a video by Dan Rather on the bee collapse and pesticides.

Fries-With-That

Qualitymark wrote: »

Apparently the culprit is neonicotinoids, poisons used on seeds in farming, and on lawn treatments for vine weevils, etc. Here's a Japanese video about the effect there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaqPNmk1kZY&feature=share

A temporary ban in Europe starts in 2016, and I think lasts for two years; if that saves whatever bees are remaining, they may extend it, I suppose.

The companies that make these poisons don't want them banned, of course.

This piece

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/09/dan-rather-bee-pesticide

introduces a video by Dan Rather on the bee collapse and pesticides.

AFAIK our European representatives abstained from the first vote on this and voted against it the second time.

Qualitymark

Jobs in pharmaceuticals perhaps the reason for that vote?

keelanj69

Isn't there a lad down past the racecourse riad that does it? Hos number is on that website. Can't link it.

Source: looked it up for same reason.as you.

Fries-With-That

Qualitymark wrote: »

Jobs in pharmaceuticals perhaps the reason for that vote?

I have no idea but I remember hearing a discussion on the radio about this and being surprised.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20196045%3A0%3A%3A


Ireland voted against the ban the first time and abstained in the second vote.

Amazing considering that its estimated that Bee Keeping is worth 22 billion to the European economy.

Listen to the podcast its very interesting.

Qualitymark

Irish honey could be a huge thing, if the ban on neonicotinoids succeeds in bringing the bees back.

In the 18th century, the Quakers brought back the beekeeping that had been such a big deal in the mediaeval monasteries and raths.

(Apparently, in the Brehon laws, the four surrounding farms were entitled to a share of your honey, and to first choice of a swarm - a good way to spread beekeeping practice http://www.advancescience.com/hive-alive/old-irish-bee-laws )

Fries-With-That

Qualitymark wrote: »

Irish honey could be a huge thing, if the ban on neonicotinoids succeeds in bringing the bees back.

In the 18th century, the Quakers brought back the beekeeping that had been such a big deal in the mediaeval monasteries and raths.

(Apparently, in the Brehon laws, the four surrounding farms were entitled to a share of your honey, and to first choice of a swarm - a good way to spread beekeeping practice http://www.advancescience.com/hive-alive/old-irish-bee-laws )

I would love to get into Bee keeping myself, I have the land in what I consider an ideal pollution free location.

I have been told its very expensive to get started.

Qualitymark

Fries-With-That wrote: »

I would love to get into Bee keeping myself, I have the land in what I consider an ideal pollution free location.

I have been told its very expensive to get started.

There's a boardsie who uses Warre hives, and I think he said they were simpler to use and didn't require as much investment, or as much nursing, as the usual kind.

This page has lots about the history of bees and beekeeping -

http://www.spirithillswinery.com/?page_id=277

- including this:

The ancient Irish are particularly noted for their relationship with the bee. In Gaelic, the word for bee is bech, and a swarm is saithe. The hive had many names but was most commonly referred to as a corcog. The gift of a hive of bees was the traditional way to show gratitude or loyalty to the ancient Irish Kings and Queens and as such, their realms were often known as centers of Beekeeping. It’s not surprising, with these facts in mind, that Honey was a staple of the diet of the ancient Irish. It’s believed that everyone present at a royal table was given their own dish of honey, and supposedly each bite of food was dipped in it before eating. Honey was used to marinate meats, particularly salmon, and was drunk in hot milk, as well as used as an offering in religious ceremony. Mead was considered a sacred and ceremonial beverage and was consumed at feasts and celebrations to bring blessings to all present and to lend the event it’s magical properties. Tara had a special residence called ‘The House of Mead Circling".
Bees were so central to the mythology and culture of the ancient Irish that the old Druidic Laws, the Brehon Laws, were said to be protected as a tradition by the Bees themselves. The Brehon Laws contain twenty pages entitled “Bee-Judgement”, that spell out specific regulations regarding the care and ownership of Hives, Bees and Swarms. In an old tale of Ailill and Maeve, the king and queen of Connaught, they were served grilled salmon with Honey “well made” by their daughter, the princess Findabair.

According to the same site, the Lithuanians are the bee all and end all of beekeeping.