Guinness relay and tug of war to round off Irish Festival

A GUINNESS Relay is a new event to be launched at Dunnstown Irish Festival in celebration of St Patrick’s Day on Sunday, 17 March.

Forget about batons and runners on an athletics track. This is all about a relay team made up of only one male and one female contestant and a full schooner of Guinness.

The aim of the relay is for the first member of the team to carry the schooner of Guinness 70 metres along the track to the other member who then returns down the track to the starting position, all without spilling a drop.

Shane Murphy, festival organiser said, “We are anticipating up to 60 teams to compete in ten heats.”

The winner of the Guinness Relay is the team with the fastest time and the most amount of Guinness left in the schooner.

Hot on the heels of the relay, the Tug of War on Cleats is the last event of the day.

A team of two people, with a combined weight of no more than 185 kilos, takes each end of the rope while sitting on cleats, a ladder-like wooden structure raised four inches from the ground.

Both teams then pull for 10 minutes to move the flag in the middle of the rope as far in their direction as possible.

“Every time we run his event, the crowd is like you are at a football match, lots of barracking and supporting, it’s very exciting,” Mr Murphy said.

The undefeated champion team of Tyler Giles and Ben Gleeson will be hoping, and pulling, to keep their championship on the day.

The final is due to take place Sunday afternoon around 7pm.

Local Irish band Old Melbourne Road playing their Celtic infused tunes in the music marquee will close the St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Dunnstown Irish Festival is at 2855 Old Melbourne Road Dunnstown.

Tickets are online at eventbrite.com.au/e/dunnstown-irish-festival-tickets-53799173777.

Further information is available on the Dunnstown St Patrick’s Day Irish Festival Facebook page.