"Barry? Efficiently conscientious and always cheerful about it." That summary of Ned Barry by a Chief of Staff many years ago is one with which all who knew him would agree. A dedicated Cork man, he was a longterm secretary/ treasurer of the Cork Reception Committee, involved with major fund-raising to build Pairc U Caoimh.
He was conscientious and hard-working, but no plodder. His work was focused, timely and accurate because he rapidly grasped the essentials of problems and produced sound answers. He had a formidable talent for administration and organisation, and an inability to do things by halves. He was also a good and patient instructor - something every officer is supposed to become, though not all do.
His career required much adaptation to changing duties and lifestyles. He worked in the 1930s for the Revenue Commission in Castlebar, where he learnt much about human nature. He played on the Mayo junior football team - and wondered if Cork would have picked a foreigner from Mayo in similar circumstances. He hurled with Civil Service and for Army Metro and Dublin. He and Sgt Mick Daniels, two sensible men, had much influence on the tactics of the "Metro" and on its young soldiers.
He joined the Volunteer Force, the 1930s precursor of the FCA. It could make high demands on the spare time of young men in that age of few distractions. He quickly emerged as a good soldier and was chosen for officer training. He was called up in 1939 and commissioned late that year.
His early service was with the Anti-Aircraft Artillery, which was short of guns, ammunition and ancillary equipment. We were not alone in this; Belfast was also badly off when attacked in 1941.
He became Asst-Adjt Eastern Command and Personal Staff Officer to the Asst Chief of Staff before returning to the Artillery, where he served in various appointments, including Battery Commander in the AA Training Regiment and Staff Officer in the Directorate.
In the 1950s some officers were deputed to study the fall-out threat to this country and what could be done about it. The threat was real. Every country in Europe was setting up fall-out warning and monitoring organisations.
Our resources were restricted. This country might have few nuclear targets, but nuclear strikes on Britain could cause fall-out here in a few hours, depending on the wind which "bloweth where it listeth" - though the winds could be predicted and the fallout tracked.
This problem required original thinking and detailed analysis. Ned Barry, with his clear mind and endless appetite for work, was the moving spirit. A partial answer was found which would have provided at least a skeletal and expandable national coverage. Training was initiated and pushed ahead despite difficulties. The Government, while unwilling to authorise the full organisation, purchased instrumentation. Exercises were run, including some quite large-scale ones with RTE and Civil Defence.
Eventually, the nuclear build-up frightened even the superpowers themselves. The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and some other arms-control agreements, finally halted the nuclear race. After a cautious period, Europe stood down the alerts.
Ned went to the Congo in 1963-64 and left the Army for business in 1971. He applied his organisational and administrative talents there as he had in the Army. He was president of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Association and did much to get the Glen of Imaal memorial built. In his final retirement he was involved in voluntary work for old people and for the Citizens' Information Centre in Raheny, applying his quick grasp of tax and social service regulations. He remained unassuming - an officer whom soldiers always trusted, now a civilian helping his community.
And so a transparently honest soldier, after a life of useful and unselfish service to the State and his community, has left us to join his much-loved wife. He will be embarrassed if the trumpets sound for him on the other side.