Corraun Mountain a mating site?

Once on a summer day I climbed Corraun Mountian. I started out from the northeast where the lonely little lakes hug the steep incline to the top. It’s a quietly beautiful but slightly creepy place that the sun only reaches very early on a cloudless day in high summer. When I climbed the top of the mountain was out of sight all the time so I didn’t really know where I would end up. Finally I came to a shoulder north from the top. It was so steep I crawled on all fours. On the last bit a lovely sweet smell reached my nose. It must have been the heather that was in bloom. Around me circled an enormous amount of bees. Where did they come from? There were only two beekeepers on the peninsula and one was my neighbour in Polranny and the other an old man in Owenduff Tonragee; both miles away. When I told the story to Timothy the beekeeper he was very interested. It might have been one of the elusive drone congregation areas, he reckoned. The drawing of Corraun Mountain was made from the north or Belfarset side.

Intruders

The next day the sun got out and a week of glorious weather started. Spring was in the air and the bees ventured out into their new foraging grounds. But the bees were not the only ones who wanted to discover new territory. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is what the sheep think. Especially when their own patch has been eaten bare and the growing season has started everywhere else. The fences of the Polranny Pirates have been neglected since sheep were not allowed in the road anymore. That made the growing grass in the Polranny Pirates’ garden an easy target for the hungry break-away sheep of neighbor Peggy. She has only eight sheep but they sure can be a nuisance as we will find out later on.

Clew Bay Honey

‘Clew Bay Honey is the name of Timothy's business,’ his mother told us matter of fact. ‘ He has about fifty beehives and is expanding.’ ‘Does he have them all around his place?’ I asked. ‘He parks the hives out everywhere in the area: from Castlebar to Achill. Wherever people are willing to take them.’ Now that was interesting. ‘Would he put them in the garden of the Polranny Pirates?’ I asked. ‘I’m sure he will.’ And she proceeded to send him a text with my wish. And that was it.