Feast Day of St. Modomnoc O'Neil February 13

St. Modomnoc got along well with bees. I mean, he LOVED the bees, and the bees LOVED him. St. Modomnoc was a member of the powerful O.Neil family in Ireland but went off to Wales to study for the priesthood under St. David.

While at the monastery Monodmnoc was assigned the role of beekeeper (the priests liked their mead). The bees would follow him around and he would talk to them. When it was time to go back to Ireland, he bade farewell to the bees. The bees followed the boat. He returned to the monastery and tried to sneak away. No good - the bees followed. Finally, St. David told him to take the bees with him.

And that's how bees were introduced to Ireland (supposedly, but it's a good story). He settled in Bremore in County Dublin, a place that to this day is known as "The Church of the Beekeeper".