Beard Liberation Front
Press release 13th March
Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266
BEARD OF IRELAND 2021: FINAL BEARD OFF ROUND UNDERWAY
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that competition for the Irish Beard of the Year 2021 has reached the final Beard Off Round
The voting in Round Two saw Northern Ireland Retail supremo Aodhan Connolly take 75.5% of well over 1.000 votes with broadcaster William Crawley second with 16.8%. Both are now in the now final with golfer Shane Lowry and Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann
The 2017 winner was politician Colum Eastwood who bearded broadcaster William Crawley for the annual Award.
In 2018 the DUP’s Lee Reynolds shaved writer Dominic O’Reilly for the honour with Colum Eastwood in a steady third place.
In 2019 Lee Reynolds retained the title
The 2020 winner was Maynooth academic Peter Coles
The BLF says that while traditionally a land of predominantly clean-shaven cultures, Ireland has in recent times become something of a centre for stylish and trendy beards and the interest in the 2021 poll has underlined the point
Contenders for the title in 2021 include a diverse range of the hirsute- a golfer, political activists, journalists, an academic as well as the two Health Ministers in Belfast and Dublin who are both hirsute.
The campaigners say the poll is specifically about the impact the beard of an individual has made in Irish public life and no other factor.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, hairs will be split, in a safe and socially distanced way, before we get the result on 17th March.
There were two preliminary Beard Off votes between 5-8th March and 9-12th March. The top two from each round are now through to a Best Beard of Ireland vote between 13-16th March
Vote at this link
Beard of Ireland 2021
William Crawley, broadcaster
Matthew O’Toole, politician
Sam McBride, journalist
Peter Coles, academic, Maynooth University
Shane Lowry, golfer
Aodhán Connolly, Businessman
Robin Swann, Health Minister, Belfast
Stephen Donnelly, Health Minister, Dublin
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