About Us
Our Mission
NIHBS was established in November 2012 by a group of beekeepers who wished to support the various strains of the native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) throughout the country. It is a cross-border organisation, open to all, that consists of members and representatives from all corners of the island of Ireland.
NIHBS do not provide insurance as this is outside our main objective which is the conservation of the Native Irish Honey Bee. You are very welcome to join our Society and help with this aim. Insurance for beekeeping activites is available through membership of your local association.
A copy of our Constitution can be downloaded here
Our Aims
- To promote the conservation, study, improvement and re-introduction of Apis mellifera mellifera (native Irish honey bees) throughout the island of Ireland
- To establish conservation areas throughout the island
- To promote the formation of bee improvement groups
- To provide education on bee improvement and to increase public awareness of the native Irish honey bee and its importance
- To act in an advisory capacity to groups and individuals who wish to promote Apis mellifera mellifera
- To co-operate with other beekeeping organisations with similar aims
- To seek the help of the scientific community and other stakeholders in achieving our aims and objectives
Our Story
Our Achievements
- In 2013, regular monthly physical meetings were held to set up the organisation
- Meetings then moved online, saving time and the cost of hiring hotel rooms etc.
- Annual meetings with BIBBA and other beekeeping organisations
- The Four Seasons/Ceithre Ráithe na Bliana, our full colour quarterly magazine published and distributed every quarter
- Encouragement of all members to write articles for the Four Seasons creating inclusiveness especially for new members
- Ongoing fund raising used for scientific research
- Scientific paper published ‘A significant pure population of the dark European honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) remains in Ireland
- List of NIHBS suppliers created, published on the web and in The Four Seasons
- Voluntary Conservation Areas expanded
- Native Irish Honey Bee Labels for members honey jars
- Attending shows, festivals and events with information stands
- Annual conferences with great national and international speakers
- Annual Bee Improvement and Queen Rearing workshops held in various parts of the country, continuing the GBBG tradition
- Annual meetings with DAFM
- Helping to fund research into the honey bee in the wild, ongoing by NUIG
- Sets of Information Leaflets and Booklets produced
- Organised to host the SICAMM – International conference (deferred due to Covid)
- Work started on The Native Irish Honey Bee Book in 2019
- Munster Seminar and AGM on 8th March 2020 was the last physical get together before Covid closed everything down
- NUIG Bee treatment survey monitoring varroa levels
- Queen Rearing Group Scheme (QRGS) initiated as pilot for future years
- Statement Against Imports supported by all beekeeping organisations in Ireland
- NIHBS website revamped
- The Native Irish Honey Bee Book produced.
Our Future
Since its inception, NIHBS has made significant progress towards achieving its ultimate aims and objectives. We will continue to build on this progress through promoting the conservation, study and improvement of the Dark European Honey Bee Apis mellifera mellifera in Ireland. This will be carried out through education in the form of bee improvement workshops, conferences, seminars and lectures to Irish beekeepers. We will compliment our aims in education with the continued publication of booklets and leaflets along with our quarterly journal The Four Seasons, Ceithre Ráithe na Bliana
We will support the propagation of the native honey bee and local genetic material through the NIHBS Queenrearing Group Scheme for queen rearing groups and networking with breeders of dark native queens bees. We intend to encourage the continued research into honey bee improvement especially with regard to disease resistance and DNA study. We hope to continue our collaboration with the scientific community in their work of studying all aspects of honey bee behaviour with a view to improving the existing Irish populations of native honey bees.
We will co-operate as far as possible with other like minded beekeeping organisations throughout the island of Ireland. We will continue to engage with the public and media to raise awareness for this important genetic resource and the necessity for its protection from importations of non-native honey bees from other parts of Europe.
Our Team
Officers for 2024. Elected at AGM 24/2/2024
Chairperson: Loretta Neary, chairperson@nihbs.org
Secretary: Thérèse Scanlon, nihbs.secretary@gmail.com
Assistant Secretary: Karin Stierle, nihbs.assistantsec@gmail.com
Vice Chairperson: Gerard Coyne, gerrypcoyne@yahoo.co.uk
Treasurer: Paula Somers-Kennedy, treasurer@nihbs.org
Public Relations Officer: John Thorp, nihbs.pro@gmail.com
Membership: Aideen Day, nihbs.memberships@gmail.com
Webmaster: Sean Mellett, webmaster@nihbs.org
Editor of The Four Seasons/Ceithre Ráithe: Thomas Hayden, tom.nihbs@gmail.com
Fundraiser: Pauline Walsh, nihbs.fundraising@gmail.com
Conservation Area Officer: John Greenaway nihbs.conservation@gmail.com
Queen rearing scheme Coordinator: Alan Forskitt
Regional Directors
Connacht: Gerard Coyne, gerrypcoyne@yahoo.co.uk
Leinster: Kevin Forde nihbs.leinster@gmail.com
Munster: Andrew Shinnick andy.nihbs@gmail.com
Ulster: Geoffrey Davidson, gmd-glenhead@
Other Committee Members
