Anthony Barry

Anthony Barry (7 June 1901 – 24 October 1983) was an Irish businessman and Fine Gael politician from Cork.^[1]

Early life and career

He was born one of 11 children, his family had a small grocery business at Bridge Street in Cork. The firm specialised in teas and wines and later moved to Princes Street. It was awarded the Empire Cup for Tea Blending at the Grocers Exhibition London, 1934. 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.

Political career

Barry acted as election agent for W. T. Cosgrave, the former President of the Executive Council who was a Teachta Dála (TD) 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.^[2] 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, was minister and briefly Tánaiste in the 1980s, and was succeeded as TD in 1997 by his daughter Deirdre Clune. Anthony Barry's daughter Theresa (Terry) Kelly served as Fine Gael Mayor of Limerick City in 1983–4.^[3]

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.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

References

Sources

• No Lovelier City, a Portrait of Cork by Anthony Barry, Mercier Press 2004 ISBN 1-85635-458-X.
• RTÉ Radio interview with Deirdre Clune, 21 June 2006.