The Honey Show

OPW Phoenix Park Honey Show

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I work in the Walled Garden at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. I work alongside Brian Quinn and Paul Whyte. I have been there since 2007, having previously worked with the Phoenix Park’s mobile unit and before that, Áras an Uachtaráin.

Ashtown Walled Garden, a restored Victorian kitchen garden, is a two-and-ahalf-acre garden set in the grounds of the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. It is a fruit and vegetable garden mainly, with a herbaceous border running from south to north from the main entrance. It is laid out in four quadrants and further divided within these quadrants. The main paths have been widened to facilitate public access.

We rotate our crops in accordance with best horticultural practice. It is open all year round and free to enter. Visitor numbers are steadily increasing as

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it becomes a more widely known tourist destination. It is the jewel in the park, but maybe I’m biased!

Our “Bee” story really begins in 2009 when, at the annual Bloom in the Park festival, Michael Gleeson, Federation of Irish Bee-keepers’ Associations (F.I.B.K.A), met our previous Chief Park Superintendent Dr. John McCullen. From there the ball started to roll. Over the course of the following year we built a “Bee Hotel” in the slip garden at Ashtown.

A “Bee Hotel” is an openroofed structure with glass to the front. The idea behind this structure was to house bees safely behind viewing windows. We could then accommodate pre-booked groups so we could open the hives and they could get up close and personal. Its a great way of giving the public a taste of what really goes on when hives are opened.

Of course you must warn anybody who goes near beehives that there is always the possibility of a sting and if anyone has any doubts, or allergies in particular, that they are advised to stay away! As the bees are considered livestock then they should be treated with respect and you can never anticipate how they will behave on certain days, so going in gently and quietly is recommended.

In September 2011 we welcomed our first hives two at Ashtown and two at Áras an Úachtaráin. We must thank John Summerville, and Mary and Gerry Ryan for kindly donating their hives to the Phoenix Park.

So we finally had them!

Everyone was thrilled, and I must say personally a little scared at the same time! We did have a certain amount of training completed but no amount of books or articles

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3 1 Margaret Gormley, Eamon Magee – President of FIBKA, John Donoghue – Honey Show Judge and Minister Simon Harris 2 Awards & Display 3 Exhibits 23

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you read will ever prepare you for what lies ahead. It cannot be stated enough of the tremendous help we received from Michael Gleeson. His involvement was outstanding. He gave up his free time to come and direct us, mentor us and support us in every way he could...and indeed he still continues to do so. His help is invaluable.

I’m amazed he is still willing to answer his phone to us!

But that is the way of beekeepers in general. They are a very helpful bunch and all are more than willing to do what they can for the betterment of the survival of the honeybee.

Ever since that daunting day in September 2011 we now manage over 16 hives throughout the park and our focus has been on managing the hives sustainably.

Because of the bees and the dedication, in particular of Brian, our planting in the 24

garden has shifted focus slightly on making the most of our acreage for the benefit of the bees. In the last few years we have introduced a wild-flower area along with green manures to aid our bee population in the park.

(Green manures are plants that capture and lock-up the nutrients leached from the previous crop to be later released to the next crop).

We have won numerous national awards for our honey here in Ireland. From Tipperary to Dublin we have won awards ranging from 1st to Commended. We were also invited to the National Honey Show in London in October 2014 which we are pleased to say we did not go home empty-handed from!

We received commended and highly commended awards in two classes there.

We had previously been awarded two seconds in 2013 at the same show. It is a

great achievement when our Phoenix Park bees produce a quality of honey that can stand up to the best in the world. It is from these shows that we got the bug for staging our own here in the Park.

With the commitment from Margaret Gormley, Chief Park Superintendent, this year the OPW went a step further in promoting our honeybee and preserving the ancient craft of bee-keeping by initiating the first ever Phoenix Park Honey Show. The Park is the ideal location to explore the ancient craft of bee-keeping and to showcase honey, the end result that we can all enjoy! It provides an oasis for our pollinators and our wildlife, and the OPW are committed to protecting habitats and species.

On Sunday the 13th of September the 1st Phoenix Park Honey Show took place. With 23 classes there

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was something to suit everyone, junior, novice and experienced bee-keeper. The wide range of classes catered both liquid and comb honey, wax, honey cakes, biscuits, mead, and photographs.

Judging of the various categories commenced at 10.15am and while this took place, there were lectures and tours by OPW gardeners and guides. The Honey Exhibition was opened to the public after judging had been completed.

The event was an outstanding success with over 200 entries. Some beautiful perpetual trophies were commissioned, carved from trees that grew in the Park.

They are replicas of the Wellington Monument here in the park and each year the winners will have their names engraved on them.

In addition to the perpetual trophies, specially commissioned Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in a presentation case were awarded to those who achieved first, second and third place. The usual honey show prize cards embossed in gold were also awarded.

This event was free to the public. It was a great success for our first ever honey show.

With over 200 entries it was the second biggest attended Honey Show in the country this year. We are going to continue on its success and make next year bigger and better! We hope to see you all there.

Meeda Downey, OPW Gardener, Bee-keeper and Honey Show Secretary, Phoenix Park.

6 4 (l to r) Roy Barron, Brian Quinn, Declan Birmingham, Margaret McGuirk, Minister Simon Harris, Eamon McGee, President of FIBKA, Meeda Downey, John McLarney, Margaret Gormley 5 Presentation to President & Mrs Higgins 6 The final Product

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