Students roll out the barrel

STUDENTS from Warrington and Chester are set to “roll out the barrel” all the way from Dublin to Warrington as they attempt to recreate a fundraising event from more than 50 years ago.
The students from Chester University are collecting an empty barrel from the gates of the Guinness Brewery, Dublin at about 8am today rolling it all the way to University’s Warrington campus.
Along the journey they will be raising money for Chester TWIN, a registered charity associated with the university which has been working with partners for two decades to improve the health and wellbeing of people across the world.
The idea came from Warrington Campus bar manager Dominic Mcgowan, who discovered a plaque marking the original 1960 barrel roll by former students during a recent refurbishment of the bar.
He said: “The plaque had been on the original barrel the students pushed all the way from Dublin to Warrington in 1960 and it gave us the idea to recreate the event and raise money for a worthwhile cause while having some fun along the way.”
The barrel will be rolled through the streets of Dublin with help from the Students’ Union of Trinity College before heading for the docks to catch the 9pm ferry to Liverpool.
At 8am tomorrow, the barrel will be rolled through the streets of Liverpool with the group taking it in turns of pairs to push it all the way to the Warrington campus.
One of the original organisers from 1960, Lenny Lowe from St Helens, has passed on his support to the new set of barrel rollers.
He said: “On behalf of those students who took part in the event in 1960 I wish everyone involved the very best of luck.
“I think it’s great that they have taken up the challenge and we hope it will be as successful for them as it was for us. We’ll be thinking of them.”
The event is being supported by the university’s Students’ Union with representatives from clubs and societies from Chester and Warrington literally throwing their weight behind the push at every stage of the journey.
Students Union president Dechlan Jarrett said: “Once we heard about the original barrel push we couldn’t wait to recreate it with a whole new generation of students.
“We hope people will give us support along the way and help us raise money for such a great cause.”
Picture shows, left to right, Jack Mason (SU Vice President), Dechlan Jarrett (SU President) and Sam Wright (SU Vice President Warrington). Dechlan is holding the plaque from the original barrel roll in 1960.