A new temporary exhibition which opens at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, today (7 February 2024) explores the captivating influence of Irish bees on our culture and environment.
The exhibition includes objects from the Museum’s Natural History and Irish Folklife collections, dating from the 18th century to the present day.
As we approach Saint Gobnait’s Day, on February 11th, the exhibition tells the story of why a medieval abbess holds the title of Ireland’s patron saint of bees.
Included in the exhibition is an exquisitely detailed and delicate drawing of Saint Gobnait by renowned Irish artist Harry Clarke, on loan until May 2024 from the Corning Museum of Glass, NY, USA. The artwork was the template for what is one of Harry Clarke’s most celebrated stained-glass windows. The window depicting Saint Gobnait, can be seen in the Honan Chapel, Cork City.
Visitors can also read a selection of stories about Saint Gobnait collected by schoolchildren for the Irish Folklore Commission from 1937 to 1939, which provide an intriguing insight into how she was regarded and venerated.
The Natural History material included in the exhibition gives visitors a rare glimpse into the fascinating and unusual world of Irish bees. Examples of every bee species in Ireland are displayed, as well as bees and other insect species from around the world. Visitors will learn about the differences between honeybees, bumblebees, and an astonishing diversity of solitary bees, and might be surprised to realise how many species are found in Ireland.
Beekeeping has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years and enthusiasts will be interested to see Instructions for Managing Bees (1733), the first book published on beekeeping in Ireland, on loan from the Royal Irish Academy.
Footage of beekeepers at work in the 1960s, courtesy of RTÉ, will also feature, along with a display of bee skeps – traditional dome shaped beehives made from lengths of straw rope.
Honey jar labels used by today’s beekeepers in Ireland, shared with the Museum on foot of a public invitation, have also been incorporated into the exhibition.
A miniature version of a Guinness World Record winning Lego beehive, created by Athlone based schoolteacher, Ruairí O’ Leochain during the 2020 lockdown, adds a playful element. Donated in 1997, a wooden beehive made by John Gallagher, from Belleek, Co. Fermanagh, demonstrates the skill and craftsmanship associated with beekeeping over the centuries.
Visitors to the exhibition can also watch honeybees flying in and out of active hives on the rooftop of NMI – Country Life from a glass apex viewing area that looks out to a heather garden. The Museum hives are tended by local beekeepers.
A painting of a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) by artist Shevaun Doherty as the cover art for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, will also be on display. A series of artist workshops led by Shevaun and other public and educational talks will run in parallel with the exhibition over the next year.
This summer, the celebrated ‘Bee Dress’ by the artist Alice Maher will also join The Murmur of Bees exhibition.
Director of the National Museum of Ireland, Lynn Scarff, said:
Our Irish Folklife Collection, which is based in Turlough Park, Co. Mayo is the perfect home for this exciting exhibition, which takes visitors on a journey of how bees have influenced everyday aspects of Irish life for centuries, playing an important role in biodiversity, but also in inspiring arts, culture and folklore. Developed through a collaboration with colleagues in Natural History and Irish Folklife, the exhibition will provide a very special insight into these insects and the relationship we have had with them in Ireland specifically, going back centuries. The National Museum of Ireland is a major repository for natural science collections and a custodian of our cultural heritage. This exhibition is a demonstration of a key focus in our new Strategic Plan 2023 -2028 ‘Increasing Accessibility, Engaging Community’, which is to mobilise our collections and programmes to engage the public on the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Dr Aidan O’Hanlon, Curator of Entomology, NMI - Natural History, said:
“This is the first time that a public exhibition focusing solely on insects has ever been developed in Ireland. Bees are incredibly special insects due to their crucial role as pollinators and the astonishing social behaviour seen in some species. Honeybees in particular have had a close relationship with humans for millennia. The many hundreds of specimens and displays that we developed for this exhibition were carefully selected to invite visitors into the extraordinary world of this remarkable insect group.”
Tiernan Gaffney, Curator in the Irish Folklife Collection, NMI - Country Life, said:
“Bees hold an interesting role in Irish history, and this exhibition explores how they have influenced our everyday life, traditions, and material culture. As we approach Saint Gobnait’s feast day, this provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and learn about the special bond humans have with bees.”
The exhibition will be formally opened today by special guest biologist, Dr Éanna Ní Lamhna, and is open to the public from tomorrow. It will run until summer 2025 and admission is free.
Ends//
To view high-res images of some objects featured in the exhibition click here
Photography to be issued by Jason Clarke, info@jcp.ie 087 2520782
To request other images from objects in the exhibition or an interview please contact
Q4 Public Relations
- Sinead McGovern sinead@q4pr.ie 087 641 1725
- Sabrina D’Angelo sabrina@q4pr.ie 086 0323397
About the National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the nation’s premier cultural institution and home to the greatest collections of Irish heritage, culture and history. Admission is free.
The National Museum of Ireland has 4 public sites, and a Collections Repository:
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National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (Kildare Street, Dublin)
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National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (Merrion Street, Dublin)
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National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History (Collins Barracks, Dublin)
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National Museum of Ireland – Country Life (Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo)
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Collections Resource Centre (Swords) (Not open to the public)
Website: www.museum.ie
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