FACIAL FLUFF 

Gardai circular says members should shave if beards resemble ‘badly watered lawn in a heatwave’ after 2 weeks’ growth

• 19:02, 31 Mar 2022
• Updated: 19:02, 31 Mar 2022

GARDAI trying to cultivate a beard have been told to “concede graciously and admit defeat” if their facial fluff resembles “a badly watered lawn in a heatwave” after two weeks of growth.

In an email, a Garda supervisor told hairy-faced members of the force to “smarten up” and decide to grow a proper one or none at all.

The inspector – who works in a traffic unit – said some gardai “cannot seem to make up their minds” if they want a beard or not because they alternate on a weekly basis between “being clean shaven to having various stages of facial hair”.

Last July, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris updated the force’s uniform policy with several changes, which included allowing members to grow a beard.

And gardai in the Roads Policing Division in Dublin were reminded of the requirement in the dress code, which is that beards are neatly trimmed and should be between 0.5cm and 2cm in bulk.

In an email to officers from a senior cop, members were told they should grow their beards during annual leave or rest days to avoid an “unshaven” or “stubbly” look.

It continued: “In short, members should decide whether they want a beard or not (or whether their partners allow them to have one or not) and commit to one look or the other.”

The warning correspondence goes on to say that a “sufficiently thorough beard” should not “take an excessively long time to grow” and that guidelines suggest the maximum period is two weeks.

It “concludes: “If after that, the face still resembles a badly watered lawn in a heat-wave, then it is time to concede graciously and admit defeat.

“Beards are not for everyone after all, and as the summer months approach and the days get warmer, there are certain advantages to being clean shaven.”

A garda spokesperson said: “A policy was issued in July 2021 on Uniform and Dress Code within An Garda Siochana which includes provisions on beard wearing which all Garda member are expected to follow.”

This is the latest warning to be issued to frontline gardai in relation to their face scruff, as members based in Kerry were told last September that they are not in a “Conor McGregor, ZZ Top or Grizzly Adams look-a-like competition”.

That warning also added: “Members are not to present for duty unshaven – it is either established beard or clean shaven. This is quite clear in the directive.”

The rule change on gardai being allow to sport beards came after two decades of campaigning by the Garda Representative Association.

It is also thought to have been influenced by attempts to get more ethnic minorities to join the ranks.