Welcome to the County Louth Beekeepers Association (LBKA) website

Originally founded in the summer of 1910, our association works on behalf of member beekeepers, providing opportunities to learn the craft and science of beekeeping. Equally important, we provide a social outlet for members to meet with fellow beekeepers - opportunities to share tips and tales. We are blessed to have many excellent beekeepers who are always willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

Our association is committed to supporting the native dark bee, Apis mellifera mellifera.

We are affiliated to our national body, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations (FIBKA). We provide our members with classes and support to attain FIBKA academic and practical certifications.

The Kevin Griffin apiary is located near the M1 roundabout at Junction 16, where members can come and gain practical experience through the beekeeping year.

We also hold regular lectures on all aspects of beekeeping. Members and interested non-members are always welcome to attend.

Upcoming Events

  • FIBKA are hosting a regional conference in Newbridge, Co. Kildare on Saturday 15th February, from 10am. All are welcome and it's free! For more updated details see here.
  • UBKA are holding their annual conference in Greenmount on 14th and 15th February. The main speaker is Tom Seeley.  More details here.
  • On Wednesday 26th February, at 8pm we will host a lecture by Michael Wilde entitled "My Beekeeping Year". Michael Wilde is a very experienced beekeeper and is willing to share his beekeeping knowledge with us.  We look forward to a good attendance, with the usual raffle on the night. 

Beginners Course

Because of the large number of people signed up for the beginners class, we are holding two beginners courses again this year. The introductory lecture in Teagasc, Dundalk was well attended. The course proper started on 4th February in Teagasc, Dundalk and on 11th February in Teagasc, Drogheda.
Even though they have already started it's not too late to catch up so please register your interest as soon as possible since the classes are about to start. You can, of course, also book the course  in our online shop.

For more information see here.

Looking after your bees

Membership Fees

You can pay your 2020 membership whenever you like. Remember that you get insurance, 12 copies of An Beachaire, online copies of BBKA News, access to the association apiary and the learning opportunities there, as well as the monthly lectures, so it's  a real bargain.

The fee for an adult is €80. There are a number of ways to pay:
  • Send a cheque with your details to the secretary.
  • Pay online in our online shop.
  • Bank transfer to our account - IBAN: IE47 AIBK 9324 5028 6971 39 (BIC: AIBKIE2D), but be sure to let the secretary know!
  • The secretary will be happy to accept your membership fee at any lecture.
​Note: Please make sure the secretary has your address, including your Eircode!

News and External Events

The news section has news on:
  • Regional conference
  • ​Beekeeping survey
  • An Beachaire
  • NUIG Research
  • ....
All lectures start at 8pm in Teagasc, Dundalk (see map). Beginners are welcome and admission is free. See the map below if you need help finding us.
This website is a work in progress, if members have interesting articles, stories, pictures, videos etc. that they'd like to submit for inclusion, please get in touch. We would be delighted to publish a blog post from anyone who has something to say. If you would like to share something but you're unsure about any aspect, we'll be delighted to help where we can. You can contact us at:  lbkasec@gmail.com, or through the contact form. ​

Gift Vouchers

We now have Gift Vouchers available for the Beginners Course, 2020 (€100) and for Membership 2020 (€70 if before 31/12/19 and €80 if after 1/1/2020). If you would like to buy one, please contact the secretary.