All About Cork: To be a bee in a swarming summer of endless gloom

This year’s Irish summer has meant that while some of us might be a bit out of sorts at the seemingly endless gloom, for a lot of the natural world, the time – to quote Hamlet – is out of joint.

Bees build up their colonies in the spring, and when they run out of room, they create a new queen and the old queen then heads off with half the colony. This allows her daughter keep the original colony going.

The bees will wait for a window of sunshine and warmth, often one which coms following after a period of poor weather, before heading off with their queen, in a process which is known as swarming. This will occur in both wild and managed hives, despite the best efforts of experienced beekeepers.

A honey bee swarm can be extremely dramatic, involving many thousands of bees in a large, noisy cloud. However, they normally settle into a cluster within 15 minutes before regrouping and moving on to a new nest site.

Usually swarming season occurs in Ireland in late spring or very early summer, but this year’s perpetual misery has meant that we’re heading toward August and our bees are struggling to know their corbiculae from their elbows – which is a cocktail, apparently.

Local beekeepers Ballinora Bees say they’re noticing that swarms are occurring now, months later than they would normally happen, but they say that they will help anyone worried by a swarm if they can.

“We’ve collected swarms from trampolines, compost bins, picnic benches, and more, and nothing will surprise us now,” Roy Kelleher from Ballinora Bees told The Echo.

He offers some simple advice: “Keep at a safe distance and to not disturb or destroy the swarm.

“The bees have their bellies full of honey and have no interest in humans whilst swarming, they’re just looking for a new home.” He said that if the swarm moves into a building, it can be extremely difficult to remove them, but a professional beekeeper should be able to help, although sometimes pest controllers may be needed to work in conjunction with the beekeeper. If you have an issue with swarming bees, he said, they will try to help.

“Please give us a call on 0857801117 and we’ll do our best to relocate the swarm,” he said.

For further information about Ballinora Bees, see the company’s Facebook page, or mail info@ballinorabees.ie.

Vintage vehicles will get rolling at noon next Sunday

Ballincollig Vintage Club will hold its 12th annual vintage show on Sunday next, July 28.

The show will take place at the Castlewest shopping centre, starting at noon, and the event will feature many vehicles of yesteryear. Club stalwart Kevin McSweeney told The Echo that the show will be open to all vintage enthusiasts, with cars, motorcycles, tractors, and stationary engines all welcome.

The 20-year age rule will apply for the show, meaning that all vehicles must be over that age.

To add to the atmosphere on the day, a dog show, which will only feature to non- pedigree dogs, will take place in the afternoon and music will be provided by the vintage band, with special guests.

There will be a monster raffle at 4.30pm, with what Mr McSweeney promised will be brilliant prizes, and the beneficiaries of the raffle will be the Westgate Foundation, a local charity which provides services for senior citizens.

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day, underground facilities will be available at the shopping centre.

The vintage show will conclude at approximately 5pm. Any enquiries should be directed to the Ballincollig Vintage Club committee on 085 2087785, 087 8236709 or 087 2428239.

Rebel Frequencies presents Clodagh Quirke

Ballincollig’s The White Horse has long run its Rebel Frequencies showcase, and it will soon host Cork singer-songwriter Clodagh Quirke, whose homecoming show, following a year abroad, will take place upstairs on Saturday, August 3.

Ms Quirke grew up in Passage West and, from an early age, had an obvious grá for music, playing in every local choir and music group that were available to her. Her sound, a blend of indie, folk and rock, draws inspiration from the likes of Glen Hansard, Damien Rice and Mick Flannery.

Her debut EP, ‘The House on The Hill’, offers an exploration of life’s myriad challenges, and it earned acclaim with reviewers who described it as “jaw dropping” and “a string of words that everyone needs to hear”. It was released in 2023, and has been performed in such Cork venues as The White Horse, Cyprus Avenue, Cork Opera House and Coughlan’s.

Since the release of her EP, Ms Quirke moved away for a year to Sunderland in the UK, where she gained a whole new perspective and approach to her songwriting. This will be her debut performance after moving back home.

Ms Quirke will be supported on the night by Fionnán Barrett, a director and singer-songwriter known for his lyricism and cinematic touch. As co-host — with Alfie Hudson Taylor — of the podcast ‘How To Break an Artist’, he has candidly shared his experiences and insights into navigating the music industry today.

His second release, ‘Fall For You,’ marked a significant moment in his career, coinciding with his London debut at The Never Fade Sessions. The track premiered on BBC Radio London and was lauded by Hot Press Magazine as a “stunning indie folk track about longing for what’s gone.” His debut EP is set to release later this year.

For booking details, see whitehorse.ie.

Active Retirement Association

The Ballincollig Active Retirement Association drop-in centre is open for afternoon tea from 2pm to 4pm every Monday afternoon, and all are welcome. All seniors are invited, whether they are members of the association or not. The organisers of the centre say everyone is welcome to drop in for a cuppa and a chat, and there is no charge for admission. 

The social centre is located in the Ballincollig Family Resource Centre on the Station Road. For further information, phone 083 8608324.

GAA Club weekly lottery

The numbers drawn in the weekly Ballincollig GAA Club lottery on last Thursday, July 18, were: 1, 11, 25, and 36. With the club’s lottery jackpot of €20,000, the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach and must be won. There was no jackpot winner drawn last week, and consolation prizes went to Patrick Kelly (€100), Aideen Coleman (€50), and Robert Kennedy (€50). 

The next draw will take place this week, on Thursday evening, July 26, with all proceeds going to Ballincollig GAA Club. 

For details on how to enter the draw, see Ballincollig GAA Club’s various social media pages.