Beard Liberation Front
Press release 17th March
Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266
Beard of Ireland 2020 emphasises the positive not the Pogonophobia
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that there was a record turn-out in voting for the Beard of Ireland 2020.There were 12,086 votes cast in total when the poll closed at midnight on Sunday.
It was a close shave but Professor Peter Coles, a theoretical astrophysicist at Maynooth University, beat Adohan Michael Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, for the annual accolade in an on-line poll. Broadcaster William Crawley was third
The campaigners say the poll is about the positive impact of beards against a background where pogonophobia has featured in Irish beard news
PSNI officer Gordon Downey won an Employment Tribunal in October 2019 after he had been ordered to shave his beard off. Even more recently in January 2020 Carrick McClean protested against a rule at St Columb’s College that he had to shave his beard to continue his studies
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, beards are popular in Ireland but the fight against pogonophobia goes on. We look forward to the Beard of Ireland 2021.
Steve Agnew, Renewable Energy Administrator
Bundee Aki, rugby player
Gerry Carroll, politician
William Crawley, broadcaster
Stuart Dallas, footballer
Colum Eastwood, politician
Sam McBride, journalist
Damian Mackle, WWE performer
David Norris, politician
Lee Reynolds. Politician
Peter Coles, academic, Maynooth University
Shane Lowry, golfer
Aodhán Connolly, Businessman
Rob Herring, Rugby player
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