Derry is the second city of Northern Ireland, set on the River Foyle with its famous seventeenth-century walled city centre — the only intact walled city in Ireland. The Bogside, Bishop Street and the Waterside all carry mature sycamore and lime in their older residential streets, heavy with nectar in late May. Brooke Park and St Columb's Park have extensive lime, beech and horse chestnut avenues. Ivy covers the city walls and many whitewashed terraces, providing a vital late-season forage. The River Foyle margins support willows and alder running north toward Donegal; hawthorn and blackthorn thicken on the drumlin lanes south of the city toward Dungiven.
Collectors attend swarms on the ancient city wall ramparts and adjoining gardens, in Brooke Park lime and horse chestnut, along St Columb's Park river willows and the Foyle bank alder, in the mature sycamore of the Waterside residential streets, and in the ivy-covered gable walls and eaves of older terraces in the Bogside and Bishop Street areas.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BT26 6NH· approx. 105 km
CA24 3HZ· approx. 247 km
Visit websiteCA13 0AU· approx. 255 km
Association data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Coastal gorse on the north coast carries an early flow. Blackthorn, hawthorn and sycamore fill May. Lime dominates June in Derry, Coleraine and Limavady. The Sperrins contribute bell and ling heather from late July. The Roe and Bann valleys bring himalayan balsam into a strong late-summer flow; coastal sea-thrift and sea-aster at Magilligan add seasoning; ivy closes a long year on whitewashed cottage walls.
More on beekeeping in County LondonderryReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
