A woman who died after sustaining multiple stings from a swarm of bees in north Co Mayo has been named locally as Kathleen Devine, an award-winning honey maker, well known in beekeeping circles.
Ms Devine (73) was tending to beehives near her home in Ballycastle when the incident happened early on Monday afternoon.
Emergency services were contacted and she was brought by the Coast Guard’s Rescue 118 helicopter to Sligo University Hospital.
A local man, who did not wish to be identified, said neighbours rushed to assist Ms Devine as soon as they became aware of the situation. Some of the locals were also stung by the swarm while attempting to help, including her husband, Des.
READ MORE
“Neighbours raised the alarm and the victim was on the ground when I arrived,” the man said. “Two local people were treated by ambulance personnel at the scene for stings.”
The man said there was “shock, horror and disbelief” in the community as a result of what happened to the woman, who was thought to have initially shown some improvement while in the helicopter.
Ms Devine had won numerous prizes for her honey produce at various agricultural shows countrywide. Her husband is also a distinguished apiarist.
Together, the couple have kept and nurtured hives at various locations throughout north Mayo. Only last month, they had showcased their wares at the Bonniconlon Agricultural Show, near Ballina.
The show’s chairman, John O’Hara, recalled how beekeeping was “a labour of love” for the popular couple.
“We are all shocked by what has happened and our committee extends its deepest sympathy to the Devine family, their relatives and friends,” he said.
Mr O’Hara said the Devines kept hives at several locations, including lands at Ballycastle, north Mayo, where the unfortunate events occurred.
“Kathleen and Des took immense pride in their hobby.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Loftus described the incident as “a tragedy” for the woman, her husband and family. “We are all shocked and taken aback about ... the death of a person from bee stings,” he said.
Following a postmortem, Ms Devine’s body will be released to her family for burial or cremation. The coroner for Sligo, in whose jurisdiction the death occurred, has been notified and an inquest will be held at a later date.
The Department of Transport said the Coast Guard at Malin Head, Co Donegal, received an alert about the bee swarm attack on Monday afternoon.
“The Sligo-based Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 118, was tasked to the scene. One on-scene casualty was assisted and transferred by helicopter to Sligo University Hospital,” the department said.
The Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations declined to comment in the absence of greater detail surrounding the circumstances of the woman’s death.
Ireland has about 100 species of bees, including the honeybee, solitary bees and 21 species of bumblebee.
Irish native honeybee colonies typically swarm during May and June, with swarms generally being an uncommon sight past July. Swarms, a split in a bee colony, are prompted by fine weather and happen as a means of reproduction when bees are seeking a new suitable nesting place.
When a swarm occurs, the bees are usually docile.
