Peter Barry (politician)

Peter Barry
Barry in 1984
Tánaiste
In office 20 January 1987 – 10 March 1987
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Dick Spring
Succeeded by	Brian Lenihan
Deputy leader of Fine Gael
In office 14 January 1991 – 5 February 1993
Leader	John Bruton
Preceded by	John Bruton
Succeeded by	Nora Owen
In office 14 September 1977 – 26 March 1987
Leader	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Tom O'Higgins
Succeeded by	John Bruton
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 14 December 1982 – 10 March 1987
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Gerry Collins
Succeeded by	Brian Lenihan
Minister for the Environment
In office 30 June 1981 – 9 March 1982
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Ray Burke
Succeeded by	Ray Burke
Minister for Education
In office 2 December 1976 – 25 May 1977
Taoiseach	Liam Cosgrave
Preceded by	Richard Burke
Succeeded by	John Wilson
Minister for Transport and Power
In office 14 March 1973 – 2 December 1976
Taoiseach	Liam Cosgrave
Preceded by	Michael O'Kennedy
Succeeded by	Tom Fitzpatrick
Teachta Dála
In office June 1981 – June 1997
Constituency	Cork South-Central
In office June 1977 – June 1981
Constituency	Cork City
In office June 1969 – June 1977
Constituency	Cork City South-East
Personal details
Born	(1928-08-10)10 August 1928 Blackrock, Cork, Ireland
Died	26 August 2016(2016-08-26) (aged 88) Cork, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Spouse	Margaret O'Mullane ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 2013)​
Children	6, including Deirdre
Parent	Anthony Barry (father)
Alma mater	University College Cork

Peter Barry (10 August 1928 – 26 August 2016) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Tánaiste from January 1987 to March 1987, Deputy leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987 and 1991 to 1993, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1987, Minister for the Environment from 1982 to 1981, Minister for Education from 1976 to 1977, Minister for Transport and Power from 1973 to 1976 and Lord Mayor of Cork from 1970 to 1971. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1969 to 1997.

Early life and education

Barry was born in Blackrock, Cork, in 1928. He was the son of Anthony Barry, a Fine Gael TD and well-known businessman. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, Cork and then became the major shareholder in the family company, Barry's Tea.

Political career

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD for the Cork City South-East constituency at the 1969 general election. He would go on to win a Dáil seat at eight successive further general elections, changing constituency to Cork City in 1977 and Cork South-Central in 1981. When Fine Gael came to power following the 1973 general election, he was appointed Minister for Transport and Power. In 1976, he became Minister for Education. In 1979, after Garret FitzGerald had become leader of Fine Gael, Barry was elected deputy leader. From June 1981 to March 1982, he served as Minister for the Environment.

From December 1982 to 1987, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs. In this capacity he was heavily involved in the negotiations which resulted in the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement. He also became the first joint chairman of the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference, established under the Agreement by the Irish and British governments. Following the Labour Party's withdrawal from the coalition government in 1987, Barry became Tánaiste, for a brief period. He was the first member of Fine Gael to hold the office of Tánaiste.

When FitzGerald resigned as Fine Gael leader after the 1987 general election, Barry was one of three candidates (along with Alan Dukes and John Bruton) who contested the party leadership. Dukes was the eventual victor.

He retired at the 1997 general election, at which his seat was held for Fine Gael by his daughter Deirdre Clune. She later served as a Senator representing the Cultural and Educational Panel, but resigned in 2014, on being elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Ireland South.

1986 Northern Ireland by-elections

Main article: 1986 Northern Ireland by-elections

In 1986, the fifteen Unionist members of the House of Commons in Westminster resigned in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement, causing by-elections. To ensure contests in each constituency, Wesley Robert Williamson changed his name by deed poll to Peter Barry, deliberately taking the name of the Irish Minister held responsible for the negotiations, and stood in the four constituencies, North Antrim, South Antrim, East Londonderry and Strangford, under the label "For the Anglo-Irish Agreement". Despite not campaigning, he won over 6,000 votes.

Personal life

His sister, Terry Kelly, served as Mayor of Limerick from 1983 to 1984.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas