Following the sad passing of Club Vice President Tommy Barry of Gneeves, Rathcormac, please see the below
Message from the Barry Family
We, the Barry family, would like to express our deepest gratitude to you all at Bride Rovers GAA for your help over the past few days. Your kindness, your time and the way you supported our family meant so much to us. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us to give Tommy a beautiful and memorable send off. Thank you
Reflections by John Arnold, Club PRO
It was with a sense of sadness and emotion that we learned last Thursday of the death of Club Stalwart Tommy Barry of Gneeves. Rathcormac. In his 91st year it can truly be said that Tommy was an ‘out and out’ Bride Rovers man. He played a bit of hurling but it was as an Administrator that he excelled. For two decades he served as an outstanding Treasurer. Son of William (Billy) Barry and Jane Pyne Tommy was born into a family involved with the GAA and greyhounds and all his life long Tommy never faltered in his support for his sports in his native parish. In the early 1950’s local former player, referee and hurley-maker Ned Daly made a special Shield which was presented for a Juvenile Hurling Tournament between a ‘village’ and a ‘country’ team. Tommy lined out with the Country team which also included Michael Pyne, Joe O Keeffe, Mick Barry, Larry Kelleher, Paddy O Brien, Tommy Hickey, Paddy Dea, Donie Pyne and Billy Moroney – Tommy’s future brother in law. During the 1950’s Clubs under the names Bride Rovers, Bartlemy and St Batholomew’s were affiliated in different years. In 1962 and 1963 no Club was affiliated in the parish but in December 1964 the Bride Rovers Club was reorganised. Tommy’s near neighbour and friend Paddy O Regan was appointed Treasurer. On December 22nd 1965 at the Club AGM Tommy was appointed as Treasurer and he remained in that position for two decades until 1985. Money was scarce in those years so ‘minding the cash’ was a huge task – the Annual Church Gate Collection was the biggest source of funding. In 1972 the Church gate Collection brought in £144.75 and at the AGM Tommy reported a profit of £100 for the year with £272.75 on hands at year’s end. As well as being Club Treasurer Tommy was also a regular attender at East Cork and County Conventions. He also served as a Club Selector -along with Willie and Tom Cotter and Dan Carroll Tommy guided the Junior B Grade hurling team to East Cork glory in 1975 -a team captained by Pat O Connor. In 1981 Tommy was the Manager of our Tom Kearney-captained B Grade Football team that won our first East Cork title. Even after he stepped down from the position of Club Treasurer his involvement with and support for Bride Rovers never, ever lessened. He would talk passionately about our tremendous successes from 1997 onwards and the glorious 1960’s. He loved chatting about games and players and marvelled at the growth of the Club over the years. Last November after our great County win Michelle and myself brought the Cup to Tommy – he was overjoyed. That day I was telling him we had recently bought a robotic lawn-mower for the new pitches for €30,000 -back in 1977 we had bought Pairc na Bride for £21,000 ! He enjoyed that! As well as his huge commitment to the GAA Tommy also had a passionate interest in greyhounds and in Rathcormac Coursing Club. Of course his charitable work was simply massive. He was a long-time fundraiser and promoter of Fermoy MS, Fermoy and District Lourdes Invalid Fund and St Patrick’s Community Hospital Fermoy. They say when something needs to be done in a community ‘ask a busy person’ and that summed up Tommy Barry -he never said ‘No’. He was great company and his renditions of ‘The Whistling Gypsy Rover’ and ‘The Red River Valley’ will never be forgotten. Sometimes the word ‘legend’ can be bandied about but we in Bride Rovers know that Tommy Barry was one of our ‘living legends’. His family, his Club and his parish are in mourning -we will all miss him so much. We owe him a great debt, he was one of the men who made and developed our proud tradition as a GAA Club. To Nellie, William, Margaret, Liam, Jamie, Alan, Cillian, Aobhinn, Mary, Eoin, May, Gena, Kathleen and Billy and the extended family, we offer our deepest sympathy. Club Members formed a guard of Honour for Tommy last Sunday -the very least we could do for a simply great Bride Rovers man. Rest in Peace Tommy. Thanks to all our Club members who helped out last weekend.
Bride Rovers GAA Club regret to inform you of the death of Club Vice President Tommy Barry of Gneeves, Rathcormac. We offer our condolences to Tommy's family and wide circle of friends at this sad time.
Funeral arrangements available to view at https://rip.ie/death-notice/thomas-tom-barry-cork-rathcormac-624509
As a mark of respect, all games and training events within the club have been cancelled until after the funeral on Sunday.
May he rest in peace.
Message from the Barry Family
We, the Barry family, would like to express our deepest gratitude to you all at Bride Rovers GAA for your help over the past few days. Your kindness, your time and the way you supported our family meant so much to us. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us to give Tommy a beautiful and memorable send off. Thank you
Reflections by John Arnold, Club PRO
It was with a sense of sadness and emotion that we learned last Thursday of the death of Club Stalwart Tommy Barry of Gneeves. Rathcormac. In his 91st year it can truly be said that Tommy was an ‘out and out’ Bride Rovers man. He played a bit of hurling but it was as an Administrator that he excelled. For two decades he served as an outstanding Treasurer. Son of William (Billy) Barry and Jane Pyne Tommy was born into a family involved with the GAA and greyhounds and all his life long Tommy never faltered in his support for his sports in his native parish. In the early 1950’s local former player, referee and hurley-maker Ned Daly made a special Shield which was presented for a Juvenile Hurling Tournament between a ‘village’ and a ‘country’ team. Tommy lined out with the Country team which also included Michael Pyne, Joe O Keeffe, Mick Barry, Larry Kelleher, Paddy O Brien, Tommy Hickey, Paddy Dea, Donie Pyne and Billy Moroney – Tommy’s future brother in law. During the 1950’s Clubs under the names Bride Rovers, Bartlemy and St Batholomew’s were affiliated in different years. In 1962 and 1963 no Club was affiliated in the parish but in December 1964 the Bride Rovers Club was reorganised. Tommy’s near neighbour and friend Paddy O Regan was appointed Treasurer. On December 22nd 1965 at the Club AGM Tommy was appointed as Treasurer and he remained in that position for two decades until 1985. Money was scarce in those years so ‘minding the cash’ was a huge task – the Annual Church Gate Collection was the biggest source of funding. In 1972 the Church gate Collection brought in £144.75 and at the AGM Tommy reported a profit of £100 for the year with £272.75 on hands at year’s end. As well as being Club Treasurer Tommy was also a regular attender at East Cork and County Conventions. He also served as a Club Selector -along with Willie and Tom Cotter and Dan Carroll Tommy guided the Junior B Grade hurling team to East Cork glory in 1975 -a team captained by Pat O Connor. In 1981 Tommy was the Manager of our Tom Kearney-captained B Grade Football team that won our first East Cork title. Even after he stepped down from the position of Club Treasurer his involvement with and support for Bride Rovers never, ever lessened. He would talk passionately about our tremendous successes from 1997 onwards and the glorious 1960’s. He loved chatting about games and players and marvelled at the growth of the Club over the years. Last November after our great County win Michelle and myself brought the Cup to Tommy – he was overjoyed. That day I was telling him we had recently bought a robotic lawn-mower for the new pitches for €30,000 -back in 1977 we had bought Pairc na Bride for £21,000 ! He enjoyed that! As well as his huge commitment to the GAA Tommy also had a passionate interest in greyhounds and in Rathcormac Coursing Club. Of course his charitable work was simply massive. He was a long-time fundraiser and promoter of Fermoy MS, Fermoy and District Lourdes Invalid Fund and St Patrick’s Community Hospital Fermoy. They say when something needs to be done in a community ‘ask a busy person’ and that summed up Tommy Barry -he never said ‘No’. He was great company and his renditions of ‘The Whistling Gypsy Rover’ and ‘The Red River Valley’ will never be forgotten. Sometimes the word ‘legend’ can be bandied about but we in Bride Rovers know that Tommy Barry was one of our ‘living legends’. His family, his Club and his parish are in mourning -we will all miss him so much. We owe him a great debt, he was one of the men who made and developed our proud tradition as a GAA Club. To Nellie, William, Margaret, Liam, Jamie, Alan, Cillian, Aobhinn, Mary, Eoin, May, Gena, Kathleen and Billy and the extended family, we offer our deepest sympathy. Club Members formed a guard of Honour for Tommy last Sunday -the very least we could do for a simply great Bride Rovers man. Rest in Peace Tommy. Thanks to all our Club members who helped out last weekend.
Bride Rovers GAA Club regret to inform you of the death of Club Vice President Tommy Barry of Gneeves, Rathcormac. We offer our condolences to Tommy's family and wide circle of friends at this sad time.
Funeral arrangements available to view at https://rip.ie/death-notice/thomas-tom-barry-cork-rathcormac-624509
As a mark of respect, all games and training events within the club have been cancelled until after the funeral on Sunday.
May he rest in peace.
