A Barely Beard

I thought this article on beards that appeared in yesterday's Irish Times was interesting. Among other interesting uses of the beard, it notes that Celtic warriors used the beard to incite fear in the enemy:

In fact, the country's fascination with Tyrone's beards may have something to do with a cultural collective memory of the hirsute and snarling Celtic warriors described by quivering Roman legionnaires. Or perhaps they just remind us of watching Braveheart.

But what struck me most is the author's colorful description of the current trend of wearing stubble, or something just beyond:

The beard is actually something of a fashion on the street at the moment. A city stroll confirms this, although it's clear that the trend is towards a barely beard, only a couple of days' growth ahead of a George Michael. They are trimmed, neat, tight to the face. They do not look as if you could lose your lunch in there.

A "barely beard"! Gotta love the Irish way with words.