The Family
The Mac Giolla Coda Family
The Mac Giolla Coda Family
Galtee Honey Farm is home to 170 colonies of Native Irish Black Honey Bees, a threatened honey bee sub-species. The bees are located throughout the Galtee Vee Valley, where the counties of Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork meet, the honey farm is based. at the edge of Glengarra Forest.
The honey farm was established in 1970 by Micheál Mac Giolla Coda, who grew up around bees in his native Co. Kerry, and decided to continue the tradition while working as head forester of Glengarra Forest. His focus turned to the conservation and breeding of the Native Irish Black Honey Bee at a time when it faced possible extinction. Through his pioneering efforts and with the help of the surrounding beekeepers, the first Conservation Area for the Native Irish Honey Bee was established.
Over the years, Micheál passed on his beekeeping knowledge to his six children, including his daughter Aoife, who officially took over the farm in 2013. Today, her own children, Hannah and Micheál, are learning the craft too, continuing the tradition into a fifth generation.
Both Micheál and Aoife are certified beekeeping lecturers. They share their experience through courses, lectures, and workshops with beekeeping groups around Ireland.
Micheál is a former President of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations (FIBKA) and the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA). He has judged honey competitions both in Ireland and internationally.
Aoife is a former Public Relations Officer of the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS), and was a regular contributor to An Beachaire, the Irish Beekeeping Journal. She is a past member of the Honey Bee Steering Group in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. Both Micheál and Aoife were involved in the founding of NIHBS.
For the Mac Giolla Coda family, beekeeping is more than a livelihood—it’s a lifelong vocation rooted in care, conservation, and a deep respect for bees and the natural world.
Purpose meets conservation
Our purpose goes beyond beekeeping. We’re working to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable agriculture, and support the survival of the Native Irish Honey Bee, which is under threat from hybridisation and habitat loss.
That means:
- No chemical treatments—we use only organic-certified treatments
- Ethical hive management—always putting bee health first
- Wild locations—our bees forage in hedgerows, fields and woodland throughout the Galtee Vee Valley
Ireland's 1st Native Honey Bee Conservation Area
Galtee Honey Farm was established in 1970. In 1991 Micheál and the local beekeepers in the Galtee Vee Valley set up Galtee Bee Breeding Group. It was the first group of its kind in Ireland, to breed and conserve the native Irish Black Honey Bee. It established Ireland’s first Conservation area for the Native honey bee. This movement was replicated throughout the Island of Ireland and eventually led to the establishment of the the Native Irish Honey Bee Society in 2012.
Recognitions & Membership
