Honeybee sanctuary on Mayo island nominated for European award

THE Native Irish Honey Bee Sanctuary on Inishturk has been nominated for the prestigious European Bee Award, hosted by the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) and the European Agricultural Machinery Industry Association (CEMA).

The sanctuary, established to conserve and protect the native Irish honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera), has been recognised under the Technology and Innovation category for its pioneering application of real-time digital hive monitoring technology in an isolated island environment.

By integrating state-of-the-art BroodMinder cellular sensors - which track internal hive temperatures, ambient humidity, and acoustic frequency patterns - the project allows researchers, conservationists, and the public to monitor colony health remotely.

All collected environmental and biological data is published via an open-data framework (beecounted.org), offering researchers, academic institutions, and citizen scientists unprecedented insights into native honeybee behavior and resilience.

“We are deeply honored to be recognised on the European stage,” said Dr. Sean O’Connor, co-founder of the sanctuary, in a report on the award on the Inishturk Island social media. “This nomination highlights not only the critical importance of preserving the genetic purity of our native black bee, but also how modern sensor telemetry and open data can revolutionise apiculture conservation.

“Following our inaugural hive installations on World Bee Day and our first successful honey harvest, this international recognition is a testament to the dedication of the Inishturk community and our technical partners.”

The European Bee Award was established to celebrate novel practices and innovative software or hardware solutions that protect pollinators and enhance biodiversity across Europe.