THE COLOUR PINK has long been associated with breast cancer research and now men are being asked to link the colour blue with becoming more cancer-aware.

Ireland has become the latest country to adopt the Blue September initiative, which calls on men to ‘face up to cancer’.

Developed in New Zealand in 2008 by the country’s Prostate Cancer Foundation, the idea of a Blue September has since spread to the UK, US and Australia.

This is the first year that the month will be marked in this way in Ireland.

Numerous Irish celebrities have already donned ‘blue faces’ to support the campaign, which helps gather funding for treatments of prostate, testicular, lung and bowel cancers.

Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett, Newstalk radio presenter Tom Dunne and singer Brian McFadden are just some of the famous faces that have turned blue for the charity.

Every Friday during the month of September will be a ‘Blue Friday’. On these days, organisers are urging people to host a fundraising event, paint something blue on their faces, or at the very least, wear something blue-coloured.

In Ireland, the campaign will have a number of beneficiaries, including Cancer Care West, the Marie Keating Foundation and the Mater Foundation.

The idea behind the international campaign is to deliver a serious message in a fun way. Although men are more likely to develop and die of cancer than women, organisers say there are more barriers to discussing men’s health.

To find out more, check out the website or follow the group on Facebook and Twitter at @BlueSeptIreland.