Formerly conjoined twins are guests of honour at festival

Well-known Irish twins Hussein and Hassan Benhaffaf will be guests of honour at the third annual Twin Fest in the Co Sligo village of Keash today.

The festival is expected to attract up to 200 sets of twins from 15 countries.

Last year, 105 sets, including Hussein and Hassan, took part, along with five sets of triplets and one set of quads. This year will be different for the former conjoined twins, who are now walking, having each been fitted with a prosthetic leg earlier this year. They will be accompanied by their parents, Angie and Azzidene, and sisters Milaka and Iman. Angie is patron of Twin Fest.

Last year, the youngest set of twins at the Keash festival were three weeks old, while the oldest were entering their 90th year.

This year’s Twin Fest is in aid of Act for Meningitis, a charity launched by the Carroll family of Oranmore, Co Galway, whose daughter Aoibhe died of meningitis when she was four.

The festival was founded in memory of baby Katie Garvey from Keash, who was also a victim of meningitis.