Madam, - I am researching a book on Barry's Amusements, at Portrush, Co Antrim, almost certainly the largest stationary amusement park in Ireland.
The founder, James Chipperfield (1846-1935), also had interests in the circus, in which he and his family toured Ireland. The story goes that he purchased a lorry with the name "Barry" painted on the side and decided to adopt this as a business alias, it being snappier than his real name and less liable to mispronunciation.
Their show, originally known as a "Hippodrome", was a mixture of amusements, circus, variety and cinema and incorporated an acrobatic act by all five "Barry Sisters", which included one sister performing a somersault from another's shoulders while playing the violin. Apparently their father bought the instruments cheap, at a shilling a time, from pawnshops, and they managed to smash several while practising.
Older readers in Northern Ireland will recall that formerly there were also Barry's Amusements in Bangor, Co Down and in the centre of the city and at Bellevue, Belfast, each managed by a Barry sister, as was the Portrush establishment. It is perhaps less well known that there were Barry's Amusements at Waterford, Tramore and Bray, at least from 1936 to 1939. When James Chipperfield died he owned property in Bray and I understand that there is an area there still known as "Barry's Field", which may have been a pitch for his amusements.
I should be most grateful to hear from any reader who has information about any of these three Barry's operations south of the Border. It seems likely that all three were managed by either James's son, also James, or one of his daughters, Mrs Pauline Cox, who used "Miss P. Barry" as her business name. - Yours, etc.,
Prof JAMES FAIRLEY,
15 Luxor Gardens,
Belfast BT5 5NB.