Trevor’s mullet to fly the flag for Ireland

26-year-old Trevor Hyland from Shrule never could have predicted that a half marathon would turn into the opportunity to represent Ireland in the first-ever Swiss Mullet Cup, writes Caitlin Maughan.

After running the race in Martigny, Switzerland, Trevor was approached by a frantic Swiss man yelling in French and pointing excitedly at Trevor’s ginger mullet. The Swiss man’s girlfriend swooped in to translate and explain to Trevor that there is a mullet competition in Martigny in September. Not only that, Trevor happens to bear a striking resemblance to the mascot of Mullet Tea – hosts of the competition!

“I thought they were joking,” Trevor recalls. “I genuinely didn’t believe them until he showed me the picture.” 

Trevor began growing his mullet in January 2024 after some of his friends suggested that the hairstyle would suit him. It was only after learning of the Swiss Mullet Cup in May that Trevor decided to commit to the look and grow out his mullet into the work of art that it is today.

The winner of the competition will be awarded a ticket to Europe’s largest festival dedicated to the infamous haircut – Festival de la Coupe Mulet. However, Trevor admits that the principal factor motivating his participation is the year's supply of free beer that accompanies the ticket.

“After all of the publicity that I am getting at the moment, I have moved to first place,” Trevor says. “It looks like I will win because there is such a support from the Irish people.” 

Trevor is now also seeking to represent Mullet Tea as an ambassador and mascot due to his uncanny resemblance to the man on the bottle. He compared his possible new profession to the profession of Duffman from The Simpsons.

“I want to give a shoutout to my barber and photographer Ciaran Collopy,” Trevor adds. “He is the one who made all of this happen and I couldn’t have done it without him.” 

Ciaran is the owner of Autonomy Hair Studio in Dublin. As Trevor’s long-time barber and close friend, he was the obvious choice to cut and style the mullet that would represent Ireland. The pair worked together to create a hairstyle that accurately replicated that of the Mullet Tea mascot.

“I was on the barber stool for three hours,” Trevor recalls. “Three hours of cutting, washing and styling. He used a full can of hairspray. It was crazy. Up until this point, I had only ever gotten a 10 minute shave on the sides.” 

Voting is open until September 26. Following the worldwide competition, an extensive selection process will determine which mullets deserve to be featured in the Mullet Parade on October 6. The judging panel will be composed of seven celebrity judges including Bernard Rappaz, a Swiss farmer famous for his production of cannabis as well as his notorious mullet.

You can vote for Trevor at http://www.foireduvalais.ch/smcvote.