The founder of "Kiss a Ginger Day" has hailed the event's role in beating bullies as it marked its 10th birthday.
Derek Forgie joined other red heads in Dublin on Saturday to rejoice in the hair colour they share.
Mr Forgie organised the first Kiss a Ginger Day in 2009, in response to the emergence of "Kick a Ginger Day". This was a fictional event in satirical cartoon South Park which was subsequently linked to a spate of school bullying incidents targeting red-headed children.
Young and old gathered in Dublin's Phoenix Park for the event's landmark anniversary.
Fellow gingers posed for selfies, swapped hairdressing tips and joked about their need for sun cream on a biting cold Irish winter day.
In keeping with the name of the day, there were also a few kisses shared.
There was even a quiz on red head trivia, with the winners receiving ginger nuts, oranges and jars of ginger spice.
There was an international flavour to the celebration, with attendees from as far afield as the US and Poland.
Mr Forgie said the impact of the event had been "overwhelmingly positive" in the last decade.
"It's a push back against some of the bullying we have seen and some of the marginalisation we have seen, and I think some people really resonate with something that's positive."
Denise Steward travelled from Mallow in Co Cork with her two red-headed daughters.
"We decided we would have some fun and come on up and see some other gingers," said Ms Steward, who is originally from America.
"It's a big part of our life so we just thought we'd come up and check it out and have some craic."
Reporting by Press Association.
