The Keeper of the Bees – Bees and Beekeeping in Irish Folklore Written by Eimear Chaomhánach, with illustrations by Jane Carkill | The O'Brien Press

Did you know that bees have been around for over 100 million years? Or that the Brehon Laws included judgments about the rightful ownership of swarms? And why do Irish beekeepers plant bluebells around their hives?

From the perfection of their hexagonal honeycombs to their ordered matriarchal society, bees have been revered for thousands of years. In this beautifully illustrated book, beekeeper’s daughter and student of folklore Eimear Chaomhánach weaves folktales about bees with memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey. With legends about Aristotle and Irish saints and accounts of customs such as ‘telling the bees’, this is a fascinating look at the beliefs and traditions about bees and beekeeping.