Winter Lectures

Offaly beekeepers associations holds regular meeting to keep all its members up to date on new bee news and bee related information. It is a great way to talk to people and discuss what issues may have arised with your bees. There are many veteran beekeepers who are more than delighted to share there wealth of knowledge.

A list of this years planned lectures

Date Lecture Topic
18 Jan 2011 @ 8pm Open Forum Questions & Answers
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall Questions answered by an experienced panel of Beekeepers from within our own association.
8 Feb 2011 @ 8pm Practical Honey Production - By John Donoghue & John Summerville
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall John Summerville and John Donoghue are prominent members of the Co Offaly Beekeepers Association. Both are vastly experienced practical beekeepers and outstanding exhibitors at home and abroad. They have won numerous prizes for their honey and have many years of beekeeping experience between them. John Donoghue is an international honey judge as well as being past president of the FIBKA. John Summerville manages the Co Offaly Beekeepers Association apiary and has hosted opening days in his own apiary.
1 Mar 2011 @ 8pm Varroa Control - By Dr. Mary Coffey
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall Mary is presently working on research at Teagasc, Oakpark, Co Carlow on alternative varroa treatments suitable for Irish conditions, viral infections resulting from varroa, checking from pyrethroid resistance and many other varroa related problems. This is very important research work and no doubt will assist beekeepers greatly over the years ahead.
13 Mar 2011 Arbour Day
St. Josephs National School, Tullamore. This year's Arbour Day will be held in St Josephs National School, Arden View, Tullamore. Full details will be available later.
22 Mar 2011 @ 8pm Identifying Causes of Winter Losses - Gerry & Mary Ryan.
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall Gerry and Mary Ryan are from Dundrum, Co Tipperary. They manage a large number of hives in South Tipp. They are practical beekeepers and acclaimed bee breeders along with being members of the Galtee Bee Breeding Group. They are heavily involved in the South Tipperary study group and both are the course convenors for Gormanstown in July. In additions to this they are well known exhibitors and have won prizes at home and abroad.
12 Apr 2011 @ 8pm Queen Rearing - Tom Prendergast.
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall Tom is a member of the South Tipperary BKA and The Galtee Bee Breeding Group. He is a practical beekeeper and keeps over 100 colonies. His areas of expertise are in Queen rearing and Nuc Production, which he speaks of with natural enthusiasm and always from a very practical standpoint. Tom is also involved in the South Tipperary study group.
3 May 2011 Managing a colony to get the best from your bees - By Jim Ryan.
Co. Offaly Historical Society Hall Jim gave this talk at the National Honey Show 2010 Programme and Lecture Convention in St George's College, Weybridge, Surrey UK. Jim Ryan has been keeping bees since 1983 (having previous experience as a child) and currently has about 30 colonies. He qualified as a lecturer in Ireland in 1989 and has lectured to Associations all over Ireland, and also in Scotland and England. He is currently Editor of An Beachaire (The Irish Beekeeper) and is also F.I.B.K.A. Archivist. He is particularly interested in Queen Rearing, the History of Beekeeping and value added hive products.