We were absolutely delighted to welcome David Ryan, Chairperson of the County Limerick Beekeepers Association, to our school on 22nd October.
David visited to present awards to 2 of our talented pupils who took part in the Beekeepers Association’s recent colouring competition, as part of their annual Honey Show, which was held in the Salesians College, Pallaskenery on 11th October.
A huge congratulations to Lily Kapinus (senior infants), who won 1st prize for her beautiful artwork! Well done also to Mia Mullins in 2nd class, who received a highly commended award from the judges.
David also presented our school with a special plague from the County Limerick Beekeepers Association, which we will proudly display throughout the 2025-26 school year.
We are so grateful to David for all he has done for our school. This year her built a beehive for us in our school garden, brought in bees, and helped set everything up. Over the summer he kept a close eye on the hive and harvested our very first batch of Killoughteen NS Honey. Although it wasn’t the biggest crop, we still have 15 fantastic jars of honey that we will be raffling off as prizes soon.
Last June, David also ran an amazing open hive demonstration for several classes, giving pupils a chance to see inside a working hive – including spotting the queen bee and her busy workers. The children loved it! Looking ahead we are thrilled to share that the school has purchased 10 bee suits, and next March our 6th class pupils will get the opportunity to take part in the hive sessions with David to learn first hand how bees produce honey and help with pollination.
It is truly a fantastic addition to our school garden, and we are incredibly thankful to everyone at the Limerick Beekeepers Association, especially David Ryan, for his time, expertise and generosity.
