Barry Group founder hounoured with lifetime achievemnt award
ENTREPRENEUR JAMES A BARRY HONOURED FOR A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION TO THE MALLOW-BASED BUSINESS HE BUILT
THE founder of the Mallow-based Barry Group, James A Barry, has been honoured for his “outstanding contribution” to commerce with a prestigious accolade at the 2016 Cork Business Awards.
Mr Barry was unveiled as the winner of the Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement to Business Award in front of his proud family and many friends during a ceremony last Friday evening at the Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs.
The special award, made by the chairman of the judging panel Dr Chris Coughlan, recognised the person that he felt had made an outstanding contribution to the Cork business community.
The award citation emphasised the immense contribution that Mr Barry has made to Cork business over the years, paying tribute to his entrepreneurial spirit that has guided the success of the Barry Group.
“Over 60 years ago this man founded his business that has today grown into a business trading both nationally and internationally supplying over 1,000 customers and owning the Costcutter, Carry Out and Quick Pick symbol brands in Ireland,” it read.
At the tender age of 87, Mr Barry still arrives into work daily and has lost none of the drive and enthusiasm that inspired him to form the Barry Group in 1955.
In fact, Mr Barry’s keen business acumen began to shine four year earlier when, after returning to Cork following three-years working in England, he got a job selling ice cream in Kanturk with Denis Fitzgerald.
His entrepreneurial spirit led Mr Barry to buy a van on hire-purchase and he started off selling sweets and fruit to small shops in local villages around the Mallow area.
“The one main goal that I always had was that I wanted to work for myself. I have never followed anyone nor have I ever wanted to,” he recently told The Corkman.
As the business developed he began selling items to local pubs and his fledgling business flourished from there. .
“It was tough work. I would be on the road on my own for up to 15-hours a day and it took me years to get where I wanted. I started out from nothing and am grateful for what I achieved and for the fact that I can still drive into work each morning,” said Mr Barry.
Mr Barry said that in recent years he has reduced his working day to three or four hours, but conceded he still takes as much interest in the business, which is run by his son Jim, as he did six-decades ago.
“I may have stepped back a bit but I still like to keep an eye on things. I find the changes in the industry fascinating, particularly in relation to alcohol, which I suppose is ironic since I have never touched a drop of the stuff in my life,” he grinned.
Speaking to the Corkman Jim Barry said that he and the entire Barry clan were “immensely proud” of the fact that his father had been honoured in this way by his peers.
“It’s funny, but I recently came across an article written about my father in The Cork Examiner when he opened the cash and carry in Mallow. When I read it, I realised just what an incredible thing he had done,” said Jim.
“For the time it was a very brave thing to do. I just said to myself ‘wow’. When you consider all of the challenges he has faced and overcome over the past six-decades, you can not help but feel immensely proud of all he has achieved,” he added.
Jim said that his father was “deeply touched” to have won the lifetime achievement award.
“It was a wonderful and very special occasion for him, our family and everyone associated with the Barry Group,” he added.