Ginger power to rock town

PROUD redheads are set to paint a seaside town red at a special convention celebrating ginger locks next week.

Flame-haired owners have been encouraged to attend the Red Head Convention in aid of the Irish Cancer Society in Crosshaven on Saturday, August 21.

A range of fun and whacky events have been organised by siblings, Joleen and Denis Cronin, whose parents Sean and his Dutch-born wife Thecla run Cronin’s pub in the town.

Joleen has beautiful curly red hair and Denis sports a red-top and a fiery red beard.

“Like most other crazy ideas, it started over a pint and as a joke, but it grew from there,” Joleen said.

“This kind of convention happens regularly in America, and there is one in Holland, in a town called Breda. And I’m half Dutch so we thought why not have one here?”

She plans to extend invitations to ginger personalities like Hector O hEochagáin and Blathnaid Ní Chofaigh in the hope that the event will be a huge fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society, and raise awareness for the charity.

The events will be centred around Cronin’s Pub and Crosshaven Farmer’s Market from 11am to 10pm on the day.

Registration will take place between 11am and 2pm and all redheads will be issued with special certificates of authenticity.

A range of fun family games will follow, including a gingerbread man party, and competitions for the most freckles per square inch, the best red beard and the longest red hair.

There is a special competition for former redheads who bring a photograph of them in their heyday.

Hairdresser Bill Galligan, who has developed his own natural hair products and lectures at The Galligan College of Hair and Beauty in Dublin, will deliver a lecture at 3pm on the genetics and history of red-hair.

And Cronin’s will serve up a special Big Red Supper Menu during the afternoon.

The menu will include carrot and orange soup with a hint of ginger, red thai curry, smoked salmon, red cheddar cheese salad and homemade red berry jelly.

The food can be washed down with the event’s official beer, Rebel Red from the Franciscan Brewery, Cronin’s own cocktail, the Crosshaven Mule, a mixture of ginger ale and rum, or Tanora and Red Lemonade.

The evening will feature a carrot tossing competition, and for those who would like to join the exclusive red-head club, a Dyeing Breed’ hairdressing station will be set up for sponsored hair dyes by Deborah Coniry of Mano Mano Barber Shop and Fiona Foley of Hair for Men.

The convention will finish with music by Cork band, The Red Herrings, to include a fast and foxy “Save the Redheads” speed-dating event.

It has been estimated that between 1% and 2% of the human population has red hair.

It occurs more frequently in northern and western European. Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads with 13% of the population.

Ireland has the second highest percentage with up to 10% of the population with ginger locks.