They came in their hordes, chains around their necks and the shorts of Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association doing little to insulate against the November breeze.
Like an army of modern Celtic warriors, men descended on Dublin’s Smithfield Square for an almighty battle: a Paul Mescal lookalike competition that had spread like wildfire on social media.
Ok maybe not hordes. There were seven of them, and one hadn’t been planning to actually enter the contest — he was just on his way to work.
On the cobblestones outside the Lighthouse cinema, where the real Paul Mescal will appear later tonight for the Irish premiere of his latest film, Gladiator II, the contest promised one lucky winner a prize of €20, or three pints. And the man voted to look the most like Mescal was happy with his lot.
‘I’m working at the moment so 20 quid or a few pints would go a long way to get through the day,’ Jack Wall O’Reilly told.
Perhaps the most striking similarity between Jack and the Normal People star was his dipped-hip interview stance – as well as his dedication to the shortest of shorts.
Other fashion quirks native only to our Paul were also touched upon by the victor, including his love of mid-length white socks and trainers, and the devil-may-care washed-out hoodie.
Other entrants were just there for some good old Irish craic.
Emmett Heneghan, a towering young man wearing a badge that read Tall Mescal, said strangers often tell him he reminds them of Paul.
‘I saw it all over Instagram and I thought it’d be fun,’ he said. ‘People say I look like him but I honestly don’t see it.’
Emmet looks nothing like Paul – sorry Emmet – but did take on the challenge with five stars for effort, with some itsy-bitsy black shorts, and an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Peter Killalea, 25, who wore a green fleece, mullet and jeans, said he’s also told he looks like the Normal People star. ‘Ah it’s just a bit of craic, a good day for the parish,’ he added.
Liam Furness wore a beige jumper and washed-out black jeans and looked chuffed with the event – albeit nothing like Paul.
Following the recent Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition that went viral in New York, this (smaller scale) doppelganger search was organised by DJ and restaurateur Marcus O’Laoire.
‘Just looking at all these Paul Mescals here, they’ve all got that unmistakable Irish mallet!’ Marcus shouted through a loudspeaker – mallet being an Irish colloquial term for a big head.
Another dashing Irish lad – who was so swept up in the moment we couldn’t grab him for a chat – went all-out Paul, with blue and yellow shorts, dangling headphones, and that iconic trainer-sock combo.
But unfortunately for his wallet, Jack had the edge when it came to physical acting.
It wasn’t just a bloke-fest either, as Amanda Varma, 24, and Georgia Murphy – who told she was too old to reveal her age – also turned up in their best gym gear to take part.
Both wore black hoodies and short-shorts, with Georgia also sporting an oh-so-Paul cap.
Let’s hope organisers of the Gladiator II Irish premiere tonight don’t get confused and try to usher Jack – or, god forbid Emmett – up on stage to share their experiences of taking on the role of Maximus Decimus Meridius.
The sequel to the iconic 2000 film starring Russell Crowe will be hitting UK and Ireland cinemas on November 15.
Maybe next week we will see a cultural phenomenon – much like with the Barbie film – of thigh-exposed men running out of cinemas…