Every Winter / Spring, the Co. Dublin Beekeepers’ Association holds a beginners’ course. A beginners’ course like ours is the best way to take up beekeeping.
Who can join the course? Anyone can come along. Some students already have bees, most don’t.
Most years, our youngest students are schoolchildren, and our oldest are retired. The fee, including tea and biscuits every night, is just EUR 100.
The course is run on Tuesday evenings, starting on Tuesday 1st February 2011, at Wesley House, Leeson Park, Ranelagh Dublin 6.
View Wesley House, Leeson Park in a larger map
Over nine 2-hour classes you will learn all about the bee, its habitat, how to acquire and look after your bees, and how to harvest your honey. After the classroom sessions you will be able to join (once suitably attired!) our outdoor demonstrations and the society’s apiary.
After completing the course, students are invited to sit the FIBKA Preliminary Beekeeping Certificate (it’s optional, there is a small fee, and most students pass!). For more details, see the Federation’s exam page here http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/education/examinfo.html
The course fee is just EUR 100, and includes your first year’s membership of the Co. Dublin Beekeepers’ Association. To enquire, contact Ann via beginners@dublinbees.org , or at 01 288 8873 / 086 3798303. Our courses have become very popular in recent years, so your place will be reserved on payment of the course fee.
If an evening course in Dublin doesn’t suit you, then you might consider the excellent week-long beginners’ course at the beekeeping summer school in Gormanston, Co. Meath. Learn more by visiting www.irishbeekeeping.ie . There is a review of the summer school on the Gormanston page in our members’ area. As an alternative, some other beekeeping associations, including our neighbours the Fingal beekeepers, run their own beginners’ courses. You will find a list of local beekeeping associations here.