Date of Birth: 31st October 1939

Place of Birth: Ballygalvert, Ballywilliam, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 13th June 2011

Summary: Patsy Bennett describes his early years at home, going to school in Poulpeasty, and the variety of jobs he tried when he left school. When Teagasc set up a soft fruit research centre in Clonroche they needed bees and Patsy’s “little bit of experience” helped him get a job there. He eventually became the technician in charge of the beekeeping operation at the centre. He describes in detail the life-cycle of the honeybee and the role of the beekeeper. “Beekeeping is a strange past-time”, according to Patsy, involving the “most diverse group of people”. He was invited to lecture on beekeeping at Gormanston College by the Federation of Irish Beekeepers and he continued to do this for many years. Although Patsy is now retired his bees continue to produce superb honey from the flowers of the Clonroche countryside.