EVER FEEL THAT as a man with facial hair, you’re not getting enough support in your bearded endeavours?

Step forward the Irish Beard and Moustache Association, a group for people who have facial hair and people who simply appreciate a good beard.

The Association plan to hold meet-ups in a different county every month, where members can connect and presumably, compare beards. Their first official meeting will be held in the Slate pub in Cork on the 25th of January.

Their main aim is to eventually bring the World Beard and Moustache Championships (the Olympics, but for facial hair) to Ireland.

Founding member David Duff believes every Irish man should embrace the beard:

From an evolutionary aspect, beards are natural. But George Clooney has one, Johnny Depp had one…I know we don’t all look like George Clooney over here, but a beard helps.

According to David, the ideal beard is the freestyle beard; natural, untrimmed, unstyled, and permitted to roam.

[Rugby player] Gordon D’Arcy is a great example – he has a lumberjack beard, the manliest of manly beards.

It’s a very fine beard indeed.

PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

For the women, there’s a separate group for female facial hair lovers: Ladies Appreciation of Beards in Ireland Association. We’ll let you guess their preferred acronym yourselves.

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