Introducing our newest rooftop residents to The Devlin, The Irish Black Honeybees and these ones are here to stay- permanently in support with Powers Whiskey & Open Hive Honey.

Power’s Whiskey, as a brand have shown an ongoing commitment to Irish Agriculture over the last 230 years, Powers Whiskey now want to make the right call and protect pollinators. 

Their well-documented decline is one of the biggest threats facing agriculture today, and the pollinators need our help. One such pollinator in threat is the Irish Black Honeybee, and to improve their numbers Power’s has partnered with ourselves & OpenHive — a beekeeping company and community dreamt up by Kyle Petrie and Mark Earley, two beekeepers based here in Dublin.  

The simple focus of OpenHive is to harness a combined passion for beekeeping with a need for environmental sustainability. OpenHive keeps bees naturally, with as few interventions as possible. OpenHive is committed to maintaining local biodiversity and decreasing impact on the environment, specifically aiming to help the Irish honeybee re-establish herself as a central part of the Irish ecosystem.

To support this process OpenHive sells locally-produced Irish honey from apiaries in Dublin, Wicklow and Kerry. As part of their eco-friendly approach the jars that hold the honey are screen-printed to eliminate the need for single-use plastic labelling and can be returned for future reuse.

We at The Devlin are dedicated to supporting Irish agriculture and locally sourced produce through sustainable practices. Like our honeybees we want to harness the strengths of our community and work together on a shared goal to make the world a little better. As they do so much for us, we thought they deserved a residency!

Take the lift to the top floor of The Devlin and see if you can spot them on your next visit to Layla’s Rooftop.  

When we talk about honeybees, we immediately think of honey which of course, is their main produce. But honeybees are host to a multitude of benefits: 

Could they BEE any better for the environment?  

• When we think of Bees, think pollination. This fertilizes plants so they can grow and reproduce. 1/3 to ½ of all foods on our plate are grown thanks to the labor of the honeybee. Not only are bees critical to agriculture and growing food, accounting for as much as 30% of the world’s food production, they’re necessary for wild plants to flourish.   

• It’s estimated that as many as 90% of wild plants rely on pollinators like bees to survive. Meaning without bees, many of these plants would simply die off.  

• Bees don’t just help the immediate area where they are kept. They can gather nectar and pollen for miles away from their residential hive, spreading diversity and sustainability throughout the ecosystem that they are part of. 

Having created a hive of tranquility in the heart of our busy city, head chef Eoin O’Connor will be curating a luxury dining experience offering a twist on our traditional menu. Capturing the unique flavor of our very own rooftop hive, bringing hive to place and introducing a selection of urban honey dishes and honey-inspired cocktails mixed with Powers Whiskey.   

Like honeybees we want to establish a community- working together on the shared goal of environmental sustainability. We’re not the first and we certainly hope we won’t be the last, because when everyone tries to do a little, a lot can change. 

Stay tuned for more Bee updates across the Happenings Blog and our social media @thedevlindublin @laylasdublin and @americanadublin.

We can’t wait for you to join us at The Devlin and raise a honey-inspired toast to our latest residents!