Barry's Amusements

Barry's Amusements was an amusement park in Portrush in Northern Ireland. Located in the center of Portrush, County Antrim, on the north coast, it was founded in 1925. The owners offered it for sale in 2019 and it was reported sold for redevelopment in 2021. In April 2022, it reopened under lease as Curry's Fun Park.

Barry's Amusements
Previously known as Barry's
Location16 Eglinton Street, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Coordinates55.203°N 6.654°W / 55.203; -6.654
StatusOperating
Opened1925 (1925)
ClosedJune 2021 (2021-06)
OwnerTrufelli family (former)
Operated byCurry family
Slogan"Let the fun begin"
Operating seasonSpring/summer
Websitewww.barrysamusements.com

Park

The amusement park occupies 2.23 acres (0.90 ha) in the center of Portrush;[1] as of 2013 it was the largest amusement park in Ireland.[2] It has a mixture of traditional and modern amusements and was normally open from Easter Monday until the first week in September.[2][3] Barry's employed many teenagers and university students from the area.[4]

History

Barry's was founded in 1925 by the married couple of Francesco Trufelli, a former trapeze artist and manager of the Royal Italian Circus, and Evelyn Chipperfield of the Chipperfield's Circus family,[5] and remained a family business; as of 2006, when the BBC broadcast a documentary on the park,[6] it was run by sisters Lisa and Kristina Trufelli, the fourth generation. It became the longest-running amusement park in Northern Ireland.[1] The couple toured with the circus and then opened the amusement park in 1926 after being invited by the local railway company to permanently locate on a site beside the railway station; according to the company history, rather than use either of their family names, they named it 'Barry's' after the first supplier to arrive on-site, Barr.[5] The family at one time also operated Barry's amusement parks in Belfast and Bangor.[7]

The park was offered for sale in November 2019 as a going concern,[4] but was unable to open for the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021 it was offered for sale as a development opportunity.[1] An online petition was launched protesting against development.[8] In early August, Barry's was reported sold to property developer Michael Herbert.[1][5] In September 2021, the new owner sought a tenant to operate it as an entertainment or leisure venue;[9] in March 2022 the Curry family, who operate Curry's Fun Park in Salthill, in County Galway, announced that they had signed a long-term lease and planned to reopen Barry's at Easter, also as Curry's Fun Park.[10][11] It reopened on 9 April 2022.[12][13]

Attractions

Attractions
Name Picture Opened Brief Description
Airborne Shot
Big Dipper 2003-2021 A compact steel roller coaster originally built in 1991 by Pinfari of Italy, updated in 2003. Formerly named Barry's Big Dipper until the park's closure.
Barry's Express 2008-2021 A children's train ride brought in for the 2008 season: a train with three carriages on a circular track, with swaying carriages and music, themed to Thomas the Tank Engine.
Crazy Caterpillar 2022 A children's roller coaster, replaced Speedy Mouse.
Carousel 1964-2021 A carousel with wooden horses, which move mechanically up and down to simulate galloping;[14] more than 100 years old.
Cyclone 2001-2021 A thrill twist ride in which riders, in small clustered carriages connected by beams at the top to a central point, are spun in the opposite direction to the ride as a whole and experience the illusion that the carriages will collide.
Dodgems 2001-2021 A large dodgem track with 27 cars, each able to seat two people.
Extreme Orbiter 2018-2021
Ghost Train 1968 A dark ride in which a train moves slowly through a tunnel decorated with horror-related items including model skeletons, witches and ghosts; updated in 2018 to include bigger scares such as Count Dracula and The Grim Reaper.
Helter Skelter 1973-2021 Helter Skelter is a slide built in a spiral around a high tower; users climb the tower on the inside and slide down on a mat.
Jumping Astro 2012 A Drop Tower: a gondola is raised to the top and released to free-fall, in this case with several 'bounces', before being slowed by brakes.
Mini Dodgems 2000-2021 Children's dodgems, smaller to enable young children to reach the pedals and steering wheel, and with reduced speed.
Monte Carlo 2000-2021 A children's ride with a variety of vehicles mounted on a circular platform which spins to give the illusion of driving; updated in 2015.
Swing Chairs 2016/17-2021
Turtle Splash 2006-2021 A mini log flume designed for children, with the logs in which passengers sit styled as turtles.

Former attractions
Name Picture Opened Brief Description
The Satellite
Experience 2006-2016 A thrill ride that replaced the Satellite. Similar to an Orbiter, it was removed in early 2016 and replaced by the Airborne Shot.
Freak out 2003-2017 A pendulum-based fairground ride: riders sat facing each other on chairs suspended around the bob on the pendulum; the chairs rotated around the axis while the pendulum swung. The pendulum climbed to a maximum angle of 120° and reached a height of 22 metres (72 ft). Replaced by the Extreme Orbiter in 2018.
Speedy Mouse 1999-2021 A children's roller coaster, which was originally themed around a caterpillar. The ride took the passengers through a giant apple; the ride was short, so two rotations were given.

In 2010, the ride was refurbished and renamed to Speedy Mouse, with the roller coaster carts designed to look like Speedy Gonzales. The track remained the same, including the apple structure. The coaster was removed and relocated to Rhyl Fun Fair in 2021-2022.

Barry's Amusements, specifically The Big Dipper and Ghost Train, were featured in season 3, episode 4 of Derry Girls.

See also

References
  1. "Barry's Amusements: Sun due to set on NI's longest-running amusement park" (video, 1  min 59  secs). BBC News Northern Ireland. 3 August 2021.
  2. "Barry's". Coleraine Borough Council. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013.
  3. "Opening times". Barry's Amusements. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. Amy Stewart (16 November 2019). "Barry's: 'I found the love of my life on the dodgems'". BBC News Northern Ireland. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  5. Gillian Halliday (2 August 2021). "One of NI's richest men, Michael Herbert, linked to sale of Barry's Amusements in Portrush". Belfast Telegraph.
  6. "BBC Northern Ireland - Autumn highlights 2006" (press release). BBC. 7 September 2006. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  7. "Your Place & Mine: Dodgem Days". BBC Northern Ireland. 16 October 2014 [2007]. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  8. Allan Preston (9 May 2021). "Arlene Foster backs petition to save Barry's Amusements". Belfast Telegraph.
  9. John Mulgrew (27 September 2021). "Barry's Portrush: Could big dipper run again as owner hunts for leisure operator?". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  10. "Former Barry's theme park in Portrush aims reopen at Easter". BBC News Northern Ireland. 22 March 2022.
  11. Emma Deighan (22 March 2022). "Barry's confirms Easter reopening as Portrush amusements set to return as Curry's Fun Park". Belfast Telegraph.
  12. Damian Mullan (10 April 2022). "Curry's Fun Park opens in Portrush". Antrim Guardian.
  13. Garrett Hargan (16 April 2022). "Curry's Fun Park: Portrush rocks once again as amusements reopen". Belfast Telegraph.
  14. "The Carousel". Barry's Amusements. Archived from the original on 20 September 2003.

Further information
  • James Fairley (2006). Fun is Our Business: The Story of Barry's Amusements. Newtownards: Colourpoint Books. ISBN 9781904242710.
  • Marie Irvine (producer) (2006). Barry's. BBC Northern Ireland.
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