Nostalgia: Photos of Barry's Amusements Portrush throughout the years

A trip to Barry's will be a vivid memory for many in Northern Ireland from childhood.

Summer holidays weren't complete without a memorable trip to Portrush to the Amusements with the family.

The iconic arcade was opened by the Trufelli family in 1925. But where did it all begin?

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In the 1920s, the five Chipperfield sisters and one brother brought their unique blend of plays and musical show to Ireland bringing with them one of the earliest movie projectors and introducing many to their first experience of "moving pictures".

As they toured local towns they built a reputation for themselves and such was the esteem in which they held that, when the Royal Italian Circus came to tour Ireland in 1923, they asked Evelyn Chipperfield, the eldest of the sisters, if she would act as their agent.

This was how Evelyn met Francesco Trufelli. He was the director of the circus and a former high trapeze artist. The two fell in love. Evelyn was already in love with Ireland and it was not too difficult to persuade her sweetheart to stay.

Together they continued to tour Ireland before, in 1926, being invited by the Railway Company to set up a permanent site in Portrush. The company had invested heavily in the new station and the Northern Counties Railway Hotel and felt they needed some form of entertainment for the expected visitors.

The young couple jumped at the chance and Barry's was born. But why "Barry's?" Well, it was felt that "Chipperfield's" was too long and "Trufelli's" well, too foreign. So it just happened that the first delivery lorry had the name Barr on it so "Barry's" was chosen.

The first ride was a three abreast Gallopers, followed by Swing Boats, a Dodgem Track, Skittles and a Ferris Wheel. The first Dipper was imported from Germany in 1939 and was all made of wood.

Unfortunately, it blew down in the Big Storm of 1942 and the shortage of timber meant that it could not be rebuilt. The salvaged timber however was used in the construction of a new dodgem track and some of it is still there today.

Barry's Amusements was sold in 2021 and reopened as Curry's Fun Park in April 2022.

Here are some memories of Barry's over the years from our archives and Discover Portrush!