Red Heads Galore

Red hair and blue eyes are the rarest combination in the world, though you wouldn’t have known it in Crosshaven, Co. Cork the weekend of Aug. 21st during the 6th annual Red Head Convention.
Crosshaven is a village with beautiful views of the Cork Harbor and is famous for its Royal Cork Yacht Club, and jolly folks came as far as California and as close as around the corner to take part in the festivities. Fun facts were aplenty: red heads are more sensitive to pain (no dentist, please); less than two percent of the world’s population have red hair; the Romans kept redheaded slaves at a higher price; and Mark Twain once quipped that “while the rest of the human race are descended from monkeys, redheads derive from cats.”
A spirit of camaraderie, shared stories and good cheer marked the weekend. There were book readings and signings, speed dating, screenings, music, and carrot tossing for kids, as well as a spoon race. And redheads competed in several categories, including best red beard, best red dog, curliest red hair, and most freckles.
Kerry man Alan Reidy, sporting a wild red afro coupled with a sweet smile, freckles and dimples, was crowned King of the Redheads. And the lovely Grainne Keena from Cork was our Queen. Together, they led a parade of redheads around the village, halting traffic behind them. ♦