Honey Show
What happens at a Honey Show?
Honey shows are a great way to meet beekeepers and learn more about bees and beekeeping. Beekeepers and other entrants make their submissions to the Honey Show competitions on the morning of the event. There are different types and classes of honey, honey cakes, mead, artwork and much more. Once all the submissions are in, judging commences. We welcome everyone - beekeeper or not- to the competitions. See the section below for more details of how to enter.
While the judging is happening we will host beekeeping talks and demonstrations in the Main Hall. For novices and those getting into beekeeping there are experienced beekeepers on hand to quiz. And if you are already a beekeeper, there are talks on more advanced subjects to increase your beekeeping knowledge.
Remember - you don't have to be a beekeeper to come along, or take part in our competitions. Honey Show 2024 - Sunday 28th January CPI centre Knockrawer, Castlefinn, Co. Donegal, F93 T254
2022 Honey Show
(Postponed and held in January 2023)
Honey Show Report
Three Rivers Beekeepers would like to thank everyone who came along to our 2022 Honey show and made it such a huge success. We had a record number of entries for our competitions - in total 214 across 35 classes. The winners are listed below. The quality of the honey entries was outstanding. And in the non-honey classes, entries in the creative classes of art, photography, creative display and baking were particularly impressive.
The winners of the honey classes were a great mix of experienced and novice beekeepers. And we thank our friends from Mayo and across Northern Ireland who came to add some friendly banter and competition.
The talks on ‘Propolis’ by Ulster Beekeepers’ Association Chair, John Hill and '‘It’s not all about the ladies’ by Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Association Senior Lecturer, Ethel Irvine' were very well received and attended. Fran Benton, PhD student, invited beekeepers to learn more about her project on bee genetics.. And a special thank you to our novice beekeeper, Colin Maguire, who shared his experiences in starting out on his beekeeping journey.
We also extend our thanks to the CPI Centre in Castlefinn for hosting us in their fantastic venue, McGlynns of Castlefinn for providing the catering, and all the volunteers who helped before, during and after the show to keep it all on the road.
Finally, a big thank you to all our sponsors who made the event possible.
We look forward to seeing everyone for our 2023 Honey Show later this year.
2022 Honey Show Photos
Competition Entries - Honey Categories
Competition Entires - Non Honey Categories
Honey Show 2022 - Competition Winners
Class 1:
6 Jars of honey, any type or colour, matching, as offered for sale, in either 227g, 340g or 454g jars
1st: Colin McGuire
2nd: Marcus O'Neill
3rd: Gary MCConnell
Very Highly Commended: Barney Coyle
Highly Commended: Veronica and Paul McNulty
Class 2
3 jars of honey, each of a different type, any combination e.g., light, medium, dark, chunk, set, ling heather, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Des Devine
2nd: Kathleen Devine
Class 3:
6 jars of honey, any type or colour, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Des Devine
2nd: Kathleen Devine
Class 4:
2 jars of honey, light, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Kathleen Devine
2nd: Colin McGuire
3rd: Des Devine
Very Highly Commended: Lexie Duncan
Highly Commended: Frank Chaney
Class 5:
2 jars of honey, medium, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Kathleen Devine
2nd: Frank Chaney
3rd: Richard Thompson
Very Highly Commended: Les Sims
Highly Commended: Kevin Barron
Class 6:
2 Jars of honey, Dark in matching, 340g or 454g jars
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd: Richard Thompson
3rd: Les Sims
Class 7:
2 Jars of ling heather honey, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Des Devine
2nd: Mark Wallace
Class 8:
2 jars of chunk honey, containing approximately50% comb, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd: Colin Maguire
3rd: Lexie duncan
Very highly commended: Les Sims
Class 9:
2 jars of naturally granulated honey, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Paul Stewart
2nd Jennifer Simpson
3rd: Kathleen Devine
Class 10:
2 jars of soft set honey, in matching 340g or 454g jars
1st: Lexie Duncan
Class 11:
1 Jar of honey for tasting, any weight or jar size
1st Paul Stewart
2nd Barney Coyle
3rd Colin Maguire
Very Highly commended Kathleen Devine
Highly Commended: Abdul Ahmed
Class 12:
1 Jar of honey, any type or colour, in 340g or 454g jar
1st: Colin Maguire
Class 14:
1 container of cut comb 200-255g
1st: Colin Maguire
Class 15:
1 jar of honey for tasting
1st: William McCrea
2nd: Paul Stewart
3rd: Frank Chaney
Very Highly commended: Colin Maguire
Highly commended: Jackie Beatie
Class 16:
2 square or round sections of honey, enclosed in section cases, each 454g
1st: Colin Maguire
Class 17:
2 containers of cut comb each 200g-255g
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd Ciaran Callaghan
Class 18:
1 frame of honey for extraction
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd: Frank Chaney
3rd: Richard Thompson
Class 19:
1 plain cake of beeswax, minimum 20mm think, at least 340g
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd: Abdul Ahmed
Class 20:
6 plain beeswax blocks, matching in all respects, each 28g
1st: Les Sims (absent from photo accepted by M Wallace)
2nd: Barney Coyle
3rd: Colin Maguire
Class 23:
A creative display incorporating extracted honey of any type, comb honey, beeswax, mead and any other bee related items or decorative material.
1st: Grainne McLaughlin
2nd: Abdul Ahmed
3rd: Micheele McNamee
Class 24:
1 honey fruit cake undecorated, made to recipe provided
1st: Kathleen Devine
2nd: Des Devine
3rd; Mandy Wallace
Highly Commended: Kevin Barron
Class 25:
1 honey sponge cake, decorated in bee theme, made to recipe provided
1st: Emma Beatie
Class 26:
6 Small biscuits or cookies, honey must be included in the recipe.
1st: Kathleen Devine
2nd: Pauline Gavigan
3rd: Leah Fairman
Very highly commended: Des Devine
Class 27:
6 small pieces of toffee, caramel, fudge, chocolates or sweets, honey must be included in the recipe
1st: Gary McConnell
Class 28:
1 jar of honey marmelade, 340g or 454g, Honey must be included in recipe
1st: Jennifer Simpson
Class 29:
1 bottle of dry mead, 750ml
1st: Mark Wallace
2nd: Des Devine
Class 31:
1 bottle of Melomel
1st: Olivia Browne
2nd: Gary McConnell
Class 32: Photography
Class 33:
Artistry
1st: B Managhan
2nd: Wendy Johnston
3rd: Abdul Ahmed
Very Highly commended: Marcus O'Neill
Highly Commended: Jill Hamilton
Class 34:
Vase of cut flowers
1st: Kathleen Devine
2nd: Des Devine
Class 35:
Invention
1st Barney Coyle
Honey Show Competition - Schedule and Judges
We welcome honey show judges: Gail Orr and Tom Canning
Competition categories and details
For a copy of the Honey Show Schedule and Entry Form, use the buttons below to download, or email us at threeriversbees1@gmail.com. We recommend sending entry forms in advance, although we will have some available on the morning of the event.
Honey Show and Conference Programme
Honey Show - (White Room)
09:00 to 12:30 Honey show exhibits accepted
13:00 Judging commences
Conference Programme - Main Hall
14:00 Welcome Address by Three Rivers PRO, Leah Fairman
14:10 Bee talk 1 - ‘Propolis’ by Ulster Beekeepers’ Association Chair, John Hill
15:00 Fran Benton, PhD student
15:15 Refreshments, bee chat, opportunity to view stalls and see Judges at work
16:00 Bee talk 2 - ‘It’s not all about the ladies’ by Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Association Senior Lecturer, Ethel Irvine
16:45 Experiences of a new beekeeper
17:00 Presentation of prizes
Directions to the Honey Show
By Car
Address: CPI Centre, Knockrawer, Castlefinn, Co. Donegal F93 T254
Free parking available on site
By Bus
Details of bus timetables can be found at https://www.transportforireland.ie/
Directions to the Honey Show
By Car
Address: CPI Centre, Knockrawer, Castlefinn, Co. Donegal F93 T254
Free parking available on site
By Bus
Details of bus timetables can be found at https://www.transportforireland.ie/