For almost 40 years, an award-winning Kilkenny beekeeper has donated the proceeds of his honey sales to charities including Christian Aid. Lisa Fagan spoke to Mervyn Rothwell.
Mervyn Rothwell’s love of bees began when he was just a boy, playing near his family home at Dungarvan in County Kilkenny.
“Living in the country, you would hear the bees and I started collecting them in a container. That’s how I got into beekeeping,” he said.
As a young man, Mervyn moved to Dublin where he worked as a financial controller for Cadbury’s chocolate company but when his wife Hazel was diagnosed with MS in 1986, Mervyn took early retirement and the couple returned to The Rower in his native Kilkenny. It was then, alongside his caring responsibilities, that Mervyn’s honey hobby took off and he began selling his golden produce, first to the Boyne Valley honey company and later from home.
I was selling a fair bit of honey and I thought ‘what’s it all for?’ and that’s when I started to give the proceeds to charities including Christian Aid.
An active member of the South Kilkenny Beekeepers’ Association, the 89-year-old takes his demonstration hive to the Iverk agricultural show each year, inspiring others to care for bees and take up beekeeping. His honey has won multiple awards at competitions all over Ireland and in 2022, he scooped top prize at the prestigious London Honey Show.
But there’s been sadness in Mervyn’s life, too. Hazel passed away in 2021. “It’s a big loss”, he says simply. Her funeral was held at their church, Inistioge Parish where for many years Mervyn served as treasurer of the Christian Aid group.
Mervyn’s motivation to support Christian Aid is clear. “It’s our duty to help our neighbours, the people with next-to-nothing and people in war-torn countries. I hope if I was in desperation that someone would help me,” he explained.
Mervyn adds that he’s leaving a gift to Christian Aid in his Will.
“Hazel and I, we’d no family of our own but we have nieces and nephews and they’ll be catered for. The rest will go to charities including Christian Aid,” he said.
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Mervyn’s nephew, Howard Rothwell, paid tribute to his uncle. He said: “Uncle Mer looked after Hazel for many years and they were devoted to each other. Throughout her long illness and even now that she’s gone, he’s always cheerful, always in good form.”
This year, when Mervyn received a Christian Aid appeal letter focusing on Honduras, he responded with a generous donation. Farmers in this climate-vulnerable Central American country used to make their living growing coffee and maize until rising temperatures, heavy rains, droughts and hurricanes made it almost impossible for their crops to grow. Thanks to donations made by supporters like Mervyn, Christian Aid’s local partner is helping farmers make the switch to beekeeping, and now they’re able to provide for their families once more.
Sarah Leeman is Christian Aid Ireland’s Partnerships and Philanthropy Manager. She said: “It’s amazing to think that almost 5,000 miles from Ireland, the proceeds from Mervyn’s beekeeping could be helping beekeepers in Honduras to escape poverty. We’re so grateful to him for his support.”
To support the work of Christian Aid Ireland visit caid.ie/donate