They may have the potato problem under control, but last week, there was a serious shortage of men's thongs in Ireland.
More than 300 people gathered in Cork on Saturday morning in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for "Most Bodies Painted." Participants were asked to wear only a thong so that each person's entire body could be painted, but local businesses were not well-stocked enough with the men's version of the garment to keep up with the demand.
Organizer Keira O'Connell, who coordinates bi-monthly body painting events in Cork, told the Huffington Post that a chat with her boyfriend inspired her to aim for the record books.
"I love to have different projects on the go, and I love to challenge myself," she said. "I thought this would be a good way to promote [body painting] in the city and nationally." The 27-year-old added that, "Irish people love to break records."
See photos from the event (Story continues below) :
Body Painting Guinness World Record Attempt In Cork, Ireland
O'Connell was caught off guard by the thong deficit. When stores in the city of 119,000 people began selling out, "panic buying" of thongs ensued, the Irish Examiner reported.
"I started getting calls from all over the country [from men] asking me where they can buy thongs!" she wrote in an email to the Huffington Post.
O'Connell noted that the manager of a local lingerie store even commented on the high numbers of men purchasing ladies large-size thongs.
Despite the brief panic, however, the event was a huge success. Cork's Camden Palace Hotel was teeming with 316 participants, more than enough to shatter the previous record of 246. Working with more 100 artists and 40 crew members, event organizers took great care to make sure each person was painted, counted and photographed.
O'Connell said that she has not yet sent official documentation to Guinness, but once she does, it should take 6-8 weeks to hear back. O'Connell is optimistic about the group receiving the title, but if for any reason they don't get it, she would be happy to give it another shot.
"We had so much fun on the day," she said, "and loads of people are asking us [if we are] going to do it again!"
[Hat tip: Fark.com]