As a marketing tactic 'Movember' has been a phenomenal success - awareness of men's health issues have been highlighted and generous amounts of money raised.

Ballynoe were one of several communities to get involved, which meant male volunteers opting for either a beard or a mustache for the duration of the 11th month of the year.

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After 30 days of facial hair, the inevitable and in many instances, most welcome, shaving day arrived. In the case of the Ballynoe brigade it was last Friday night in McAuliffe's Bar. In an ideal world, going head to head with another phenomenon, The Late Late Toy Show, isn't the wisest move in the world and you have to have something pretty special to draw people away from their sofas. In terms of how this played out, the Movember Men beat Montrose hands down with McAuliffe's Bar having one of its busiest nights of the year.

Paddy Ahern was a combination of MC/commentator/auctioneer/comedian and did a fine job. It fell to plant hire specialist and one of the Movember ring leaders, Tom O'Donnell to thank participants for their dedication, the public for their generosity and wives/girlfriends for their tolerance. Like any big job Tom undertakes, he likes to have top professionals on board and his decision to secure the services of Jemo and Erdal proved a master stroke. These lads run their own Turkish barber business in Midleton and were a pleasure to see in action.

Regarding the all important amount raised, we don't have a figure but this will be made public in the near future when the cheque is officially handed over - suffice to say it will be in the thousands not hundreds. Well done to all the lads and congratulations to one of the bearded bunch, Tom Jones, who got married the following day (last Saturday).

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