National Redhead Convention raises the pride of the country's gingers - VIDEO

Local redhead Kenneth Gordon cooling off
with an ice cream at the redhead convention.

A County Cork seaside town played host to the third National Redhead Convention last weekend, a morale-boosting one day extravaganza for the country's throngs of gingers, a gig organizers billed as a change to celebrate Ireland's emblematic hair colour, challenge hair-based discrimination, and have a great family day out.

This year was the third installation of the one day festival, a day long bonanza of everything and anything to do with red hair.

Activities included red balloon launches, red face painting, and certificates of red hair-edness for all participants.

Even red drinks and red coloured cuisine was on offer, with all proceeds for the worthy event going straight to the Irish Cancer Society.

So popular was this year's installment of the the Convention that it even featured on the national news bulletin as well as on a number of local websites.

Redheads from around the country converged on the scenic village for a bit of banter, the chance to witness a crowd-full of redheaded people, and to take part in some of the fun, family-orientated activities organized throughout the day.

Kenneth Gordon, 22, of Glasheen, Cork, was one of many redheads who made the pilgrimage out of the City for the big day.

Speaking to IrishCentral by telephone, he said that it was his first time at a redhead convention, and in a line that could have been pulled straight out of a Martin Luther King address, described being in Crosshaven for the event as like witnessing the 'collective moment of emancipation of an entire hair colour'.

The youthful ginger added that he 'never felt prouder to be a redhead', saying that the festival would help challenge the kind of petty discrimination often directed at redheads which he said he himself had been a victim of.

'Awakening ‘Ginger Pride’ and creating a safe haven for red-heads at events such as these sends out a clear message to the general public that discrimination against people because of their hair colour is as unacceptable as discrimination based on race, skin colour, or religion, and has no place in Modern Ireland,' Gordon boldly opined, adding that the crucial funds raised for the cancer charity was an 'added bonus' for the event.

Others were also keen to highlight the fact that red-heads are often the subject of casual derision and ridicule, sometimes even by friends and family, and lauded organizers for doing their part to create a celebration of what is undoubtedly Ireland's most stereotypical hair colour.

Gordon traveled to the event with his fire-headed friend Hugh Boylan, who echoed his travelling companion's comments about the event being a celebration of being ginger.

'It's just fantastic,' Hugh Boylan, a soon to be emigrée beginning a promising position on an offshore oil-rig this September, told IrishCentral from the event.

'I've never been surrounded by so many people with the same hair colouring.'

Even those of a fairer complexion seemed content to join in the fun.

Conor Hinds, of Ballinascara, Cork, sports what he described as a 'rapidly diminishing' crop of blonde hair, but said that his Scandinavian-like looks didn't stop him from joining in the fun at the one day redness bonanza.

'I mightn't be eligible to pick up the Certificate of Red-headedness,' the balding Corkman joked, 'but it's a fun idea that everyone should have the chance to be part of.'

His friend Chris O'Connor, also from Cork but now studying engineering at a prominent university in Edinburgh, agreed adding that it was 'worth travelling home for.'

The Redhead Convention even saw a few local politicians from across the political specturm turning up to offer their support for the innovative project.

Many seemed keen to emphasize their support for the smashing idea, which will go into its fourth year with next year's installment.

Brendan Finucane, a Local Area Representative (LRA) for the Fianna Fáil party based in Rochestown, said that 'creative and inspiring' ideas like the Convention would 'bring much needed money back into the local economy, give people some respite from the doom and gloom of the recession, and even raise some funds for charity in the process.'

Other 'silly season' events held in recent weeks include the Naked Bike Race, part of a global sporting celebration which saw participants competing in the nude.

Red hair occurs naturally in between 1 and 2 percent of the population.

It is characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin, according to Wikipedia.

The Ancient Celts, a Teutonic tribe considered the forebearers of a substantial amount of Irishmenm, were noted for their red hair and pale skin.

Footage of the 2010 Redhead Convention, below, via YouTube.

Drama in Donegal as country singer Daniel O'Donnell's belongings fall into sea

There were dramatic scenes off the Donegal Coast on Monday morning when construction materials for renowned singer Daniel O'Donnell's home-to-be fell into the ocean.

The truck was carrying tiles and other parts for 'wee Daniel's' home when it careered precariously off a pier and into the waiting Atlantic below.

A witness said that the lorry "slipped slowly" into the ocean after a mixup between it and the ship it was taking a delivery from.

The Marine Casualty Investigations Board will now be drafted in to probe the maritime mishap.

Dramatic amateur footage of the incident was posted to WorldIrish.com via the Donegal Daily.

Irish senator Eamonn Coughlan wants sports along with religion to be examined in Irish high schools

Irish Senator Eamonn Coughlan (FG) has said that Physical Education (PE) - traditionally the 'sport' element of Ireland's high school curriculum - should be upgraded to an examinable subject.

The call follows the upgrading of other traditionally less emphasized high school programmes, such as Religious Education, to the ranks of those subjects which can be taken in the Leaving Certificate, the finishing exam in the Irish high school system.

Currently, 'PE' is taught in an ad-hoc and highly unstructured manner, with typical 'sessions' consisting of indoor soccer, circuit exercises, or any other of a number of aerobic exercises.

Coughlan, however, said that PE's upgrade to an examinable subject would see it vested with a much greater degree of traditional classroom-based content than has currently been the case.

"This is about kids doing homework, an essay on cardio-vascular, on the heart and lungs, it's almost like biology," the Senator, himself a former athlete, told the Irish Examiner.

"If a child or a student wants to go to college to study PE or sports management, physical education does not count, when physical education should be one of the most important subjects."

A recently produced factsheet from the NCCA, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment - the body responsible for formulating and updating Ireland's high-school curriculum - said that the programme was 'likely to be introduced as a Leaving Certificate subject in the near future,' a possible move which has been hinted at for years.

Detailed guidelines instruct teachers in what should be covered during the two or three year 'senior cycle' high-school phase, but the possibility of introducing it as an exam subject - something which would undoubtedly upgrade its importance within the school system - has been left largely undiscused.

A separate curriculum exists for primary school students, and emphasizes physical activities, movement, and games.

Proponents of a new examinable subject would undoubtedly see it as an enormous boost towards solving the spiraling rates of overweightness and obesity in Ireland.

Though the weight problem is more pronounced among Irish children, Dr Donald O'Shea of St Columcille's Hospital said that the country could be moving towards a US-style statistic of 33% child obesity unless the current rising trend is stemmed.

Levels of childhood obesity currently range at about 20% and are showing no signs of relenting their upwards climb.

A separate healthy eating and sports nutrition component to the course would also be an added boost to governmental efforts to promote nutritionally-sound lifestyle choices, an effort which has already spawned the setup of a number of healthy menus in high schools across the country.

'Food Dudes', an initiative of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Marine, is such website hoping to inspire Irish high-schoolers to adopt better eating habits.