Mick Barry (10 January 1919 – 6 December 2014) was an Irish road bowler.

Barry was born in Waterfall outside Cork City and was regarded as the greatest road bowler of all time.[1] His career started in 1937 and continued until his last score at Dublin Hill on 1 June 1997.[2] He won eight All-Ireland titles, the last at the age of 56; the first All-Ireland championships were only held in 1963 when Barry was already in his forties, by which time he had won several Munster titles, which were de facto national crowns.[3]

Barry is famous for lofting a 16 oz. bowl over the Chetwynd Viaduct on St. Patrick's Day 1955.[4] He later lived almost in the shadow of the viaduct. He worked as grounds superintendent at University College Cork for 47 years.[2] In 1999 the national road bowling organisation, Ból-Chumann na hÉireann, named Barry the "Supreme Bowler of the Millennium".[1]

He died aged 95 in 2014. His wife Betty and two of their children predeceased him, but he was survived by three daughters and three sons.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Modest monarch of Irish road bowling". The Irish Times. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 Mick Barry on Ask about Ireland website
  3. ↑ Sweeney, Eamonn (19 December 2010). "Bowled over by deeds of mighty Mick". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Chetwynd Viaduct on Ask about Ireland website


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