Anthony Barry


Anthony Christopher Barry was an Irish businessman and Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála for the Cork Borough constituency from 1961 to 1965 and 1954 to 1957. He was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1957 to 1961. He served as Lord Mayor of Cork from 1961 to 1962.

Early life and career

He was born the eldest among eleven children of James J. Barry, a tea and wine merchant of Ballyhooly, County Cork, and Annie Barry. His family had a small grocery business at Bridge Street in Cork. The firm specialised in teas and wines. The business later moved to Princes Street. It was awarded the Empire Cup for Tea Blending at the 1934 Grocers Exhibition in London. He spent his working life at the firm which was later developed under the tutelage of his son Peter into a major company called Barry's Tea.
He served with the National Army during the Irish Civil War, reaching the rank of captain.

Political career

Barry acted as election agent for W. T. Cosgrave, the former President of the Executive Council who was a Teachta Dála for Cork Borough from 1932 to 1944. Barry was elected to Dáil Éireann as TD for Cork Borough at the 1954 general election, but lost his seat at the 1957 general election and was then elected to the 9th Seanad on the Cultural and Educational Panel. He was re-elected to the Dáil at the 1961 general election, and served until a further defeat at the 1965 general election. He was also Lord Mayor of Cork from 1961 to 1962.

Family and personal life

Barry's son Peter won a seat in his old constituency in 1969, he was a Minister and briefly Tánaiste in the 1980s, and was succeeded as TD in 1997 by his daughter Deirdre Clune. Anthony Barry's daughter Theresa Kelly served as Mayor of Limerick from 1983 to 1984. Barry's son Dr Tony Barry found success as an engineer, and became Chief executive of CRH in 1988, and later chairman and president of IBEC.
Barry had an interest in photography from an early age and in his 50s his skill developed and apart from taking photographs he developed them at his home in York Terrace.