Saint Gobnait is the patroness or saint of bees and bee keepers

Saint Gobnait is the patroness or saint of bees and bee keepers. February 11th is St. Gobnait’s feast day -the day the memorable life of Saint Gobnait is celebrated. Saint Gobnait founded a religious community for women, performed memorable – some say miraculous works, A tall statue of St. Gobnait that was erected in the 1950s stands near the monastic site in Bally-
vourney, Co. Cork, southwest Ireland (in photo). She appears with a nun’s habit standing on a bee hive surrounded by bees.

There are several legends recalling Gobnait forcing invaders and thieves out of Ballyvourney by setting swarms of bees upon them. See stained glass artwork representations of these events (in photo). It’s is believed that Gobnait had a close relationship with bees and used honey in healing efforts, as she is best known for her care of the sick.

She is one of the few Irish saints that is not only remembered in her native region, but has been proclaimed by the Irish bishops to be a national saint. There are shrines and places of devotion to St. Gobnait in all the places she is believed to have stopped on her journey - including Inis Oírr. But Ballyvourney, where she carried out most of her ministry, is the place that draws the greatest number of pilgrims devoted to this saint.

Bechbretha: an Old Irish law-tract on bee-keeping from the seventh century AD
(modern translation by ed. Thomas Charles-Edwards and Fergus Kelly - 1983)
Bechbretha ‘bee-judgements’ provides a detailed account of early Irish law relating to bee-keeping, and covers such topics as ownership of swarms [ According to Eva Crane the laws "display a detailed knowledge of the sequence of swarms that could issue from a colony in the course of the summer", listing 7 Welsh terms for the types of swarms, and 6 in Irish. (the world history of beekeeping and honey hunting)], theft of bee-hives, Caithchi Bech ‘trespass-penalties of bees’, and neighbours' entitlements to honey from a beekeeper. The author also refers to the law-case which resulted from the blinding by a bee-sting of the eye of the Ulster king Congal Cáech, who died in 637. On linguistic and historical grounds, the editors date this remarkably well-preserved text to the seventh century AD. This volume includes a description of the manuscripts, linguistic and legal introductions, an account of early Irish bee-keeping, a restored text with translation, and textual notes. The appendixes contain other Irish legal texts relating to bee-keeping, as well as Medieval Welsh legal material on this topic.

The Irish Beekeepers' Association was formed in 1881, April 21.

from Ethnobeeology

Saint Gobnait is the patroness or saint of bees and bee keepers

Saint Gobnait is the patroness or saint of bees and bee keepers. February 11th is St. Gobnait’s feast day -the day the memorable life of Saint Gobnait is celebrated. Saint Gobnait founded a religious community for women, performed memorable – some say miraculous works, A tall statue of St. Gobnait that was erected in the 1950s stands near the monastic site in Bally-
vourney, Co. Cork, southwest Ireland (in photo). She appears with a nun’s habit standing on a bee hive surrounded by bees.

There are several legends recalling Gobnait forcing invaders and thieves out of Ballyvourney by setting swarms of bees upon them. See stained glass artwork representations of these events (in photo). It’s is believed that Gobnait had a close relationship with bees and used honey in healing efforts, as she is best known for her care of the sick.

She is one of the few Irish saints that is not only remembered in her native region, but has been proclaimed by the Irish bishops to be a national saint. There are shrines and places of devotion to St. Gobnait in all the places she is believed to have stopped on her journey - including Inis Oírr. But Ballyvourney, where she carried out most of her ministry, is the place that draws the greatest number of pilgrims devoted to this saint.

Bechbretha: an Old Irish law-tract on bee-keeping from the seventh century AD
(modern translation by ed. Thomas Charles-Edwards and Fergus Kelly - 1983)
Bechbretha ‘bee-judgements’ provides a detailed account of early Irish law relating to bee-keeping, and covers such topics as ownership of swarms [ According to Eva Crane the laws "display a detailed knowledge of the sequence of swarms that could issue from a colony in the course of the summer", listing 7 Welsh terms for the types of swarms, and 6 in Irish. (the world history of beekeeping and honey hunting)], theft of bee-hives, Caithchi Bech ‘trespass-penalties of bees’, and neighbours' entitlements to honey from a beekeeper. The author also refers to the law-case which resulted from the blinding by a bee-sting of the eye of the Ulster king Congal Cáech, who died in 637. On linguistic and historical grounds, the editors date this remarkably well-preserved text to the seventh century AD. This volume includes a description of the manuscripts, linguistic and legal introductions, an account of early Irish bee-keeping, a restored text with translation, and textual notes. The appendixes contain other Irish legal texts relating to bee-keeping, as well as Medieval Welsh legal material on this topic.

The Irish Beekeepers' Association was formed in 1881, April 21.



From Ethnobeeology