CLLR IVAN C BARR
1938 - 2008
Ivan
Ivan Barr… a remarkable political journey from Official Sinn Féin to Provisional Sinn Féin - The Cedar Lounge Revolution 2008
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 18th May 2008
The death of Ivan Barr brought to a close a journey and a life, that should be of more than passing interest to those interested in these pages. A man who was accorded an obituary in both An Phoblacht and the Irish Times (sub req’d) clearly ticked a broad range of boxes. And indeed reading the obituaries is quite fascinating because Barr made quite a journey in political terms.
Consider this from An Phoblacht…
UPWARDS on 2,000 people attended the funeral of veteran Sinn Féin councillor Ivan Barr in Strabane on Monday, 12 May.
The national flag and the Starry Plough draped the coffin bearing Ivan Barr’s remains as they left the family home at Bridge Street just after 9am.
The cortege, led by a lone piper and flanked by council colleagues, began the journey as family members carried the coffin along Bridge Street before Sinn Féin pallbearers, including the local MP, Pat Doherty, Martin McGuinness MP and local party councillors carried it on to the junction of Melmount Road.
Ivan’s lifelong friend and comrade, Liam McElhinney, to deliver the oration…He recounted their early days growing up together in the Foot of the Town and told how life changed for both of them forever in 1968 when Ivan, as chairperson of the local Civil Rights Association, and Liam as Secretary, launched themselves into organising an endless series of activities such as protests, marches, and ballots before Ivan went on to become Six-County chairperson of the Civil Rights Association.
He said at the time both were also members of the Republican Movement and it was the understanding that without national sovereignty there could be no true social justice. It was the organisational seeds sown in those early years which have been the foundations of the political strength of Sinn Féin today, he said.
But which Republican movement? For note:
Liam said that, despite travelling different paths for a time, they remained constant friends and that when the 1981 Hunger Strikes came Ivan could not accept any party that would not stand up for the just demands of the Hunger Strikers and once again brought his massive energy and unique skills to the benefit the Republican Movement.
Different paths is a delicate way of putting it, for as the Irish Times notes under the heading “Traditional socialist influenced by writings of James Connolly”:
A Sinn Féin member of Strabane Council and an Official IRA member in the early 1970s, it was a measure of the even-handedness and wide appeal of Ivan Barr that republicans, nationalists and unionists mingled at his funeral in Strabane last Monday.
Barr was ‘active in the civil rights movements in the late 1960s, for a period chairing NICRA before his internment on the Maidstone prison ship in 1971’.
And remarkably:
‘In the Provision-Official split he sided with the Goulding official wing of republicanism. ‘He was more of an ideological socialist than an emotional republican whose main interest was in improving the lot of the working class’…
Nor was this just an affiliation forged in the crucible of 1969-72.
‘When he was released he was involved with what ultimately transmuted into the WP. In the mid- to late 1970s he became disillusioned with politics…’ in no small part due to a family tragedy.
But then:
…in 1980 and 1981 he was galvanised to engage in the hunger strike protests of that period. He switched to Provisional Sinn Féin and was elected to Strabane Council with friends Charlie McHugh and Tommy McNamee in 1985.
No greater testament to the political power of the hunger-strikes could be found, and the manner in which they ultimately shaped the succeeding period.
His view of the peace process was positive but ‘had a somewhat jaundiced view about what he viewed as ersatz opportunistic republicans jumping on the SF bandwagon. While loyal to the party he was never shy of criticising the leadership. He surprised some by his willingness to join the local district policing partnership to help seal SF support for policing in Strabane.
And the tributes? On BBC we read…
Strabane SDLP Councillor Eugene McMenamin described Mr Barr as “a true socialist”.
“Although our parties had different views, I can honestly say it was an honour to have worked with, and have known, a genuine man. Ivan Barr will be sadly missed,” he said.
Bernie Mullen in the Derry Journal wrote:
While not everyone may have agreed with his politics over the years, Ivan Barr brought people together and has left a legacy for his family and his party to be proud of.
From a personal point of view, it was a privilege to have known him and work with him for more than 20 years.
Ivan has finally passed on the torch to his colleagues. A giant of a local politician has sadly gone and those left behind can only stand in his shadow.
There’s an unusually (for a commemorative thread) respectful thread on P.ie. Certainly Barr seems to have been a most impressive figure, and I like the reference by Mullen to ‘…not everyone may have agreed with his politics over the years’. His journey from Official Republicanism to Provisional Republicanism was – in truth – replicated by few enough and perhaps made him seem for some almost doubly apostate. But he was clearly someone who cleaved to his own path, as the obituaries note:
While chairman of Strabane District Council in 2001, he was central to a political storm after shaking hands with DUP colleague Thomas Kerrigan.
And that straw in the wind is reinforced by Mullen’s assessment that:
There is no doubt that Ivan Barr laid the foundations on which Sinn Fein’s well-oiled machine would be built at grassroots level.
No doubt his experience in a different branch of the RM was helpful there.
The Irish Times Sun, Apr 17th, 2008
Ivan Barr who has died aged 70, was an independent-minded traditional-style socialist who from an early age was influenced by the writings and actions of James Connolly. His interest was in people rather than emotive causes.
A Sinn Féin member of Strabane Council and an Official IRA member in the early 1970s, it was a measure of the even-handedness and wide appeal of Ivan Barr that republicans, nationalists and unionists mingled at his funeral in Strabane last Monday.
His chief focus, particularly since he entered the local council in 1985, was to improve conditions and help stimulate job opportunities in Strabane, for so long the employment blackspot of the Northern Ireland.
It was much earlier in England, to where he emigrated to find work in the 1950s, that he developed his social and political consciousness. As a painter and decorator he was heavily involved in the trade union movement in London. During the 1956-62 IRA Border campaign he took up with Sinn Féin in the city.
It was also in London that he met his beloved wife Judy. They returned to Strabane in the 1960s to raise a family of nine children. He gained work as a painter, continued his trade union activities, and also found time for his fly-fishing passion on the local Mourne, Finn and Foyle rivers.
He was active in the civil rights movements in the late 1960s, for a period chairing the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association before his internment on the Maidstone prison ship in 1971.
In the Provisional-Official split he sided with the Cathal Goulding official wing of republicanism. "He was more of an ideological socialist than an emotional republican, whose main interest was in improving the lot of the working class," a friend explained.
When he was released he was involved with what ultimately transmuted into the Workers' Party. In the mid to late-1970s he became disillusioned with politics, a disenchantment compounded by the death of his young daughter Karen in a house fire in Strabane.
But in 1980 and 1981 he was galvanized to engage in the hunger strike protests of that period. He switched to Provisional Sinn Féin and was elected to Strabane Council with friends Charlie McHugh and Tommy McNamee in 1985. He built Sinn Féin popularity in the town and strength on the council through dedicated, hard work for the people of the area, at one stage going out on a limb to expose what he believed was serious sleaze and malpractice on the council.
He welcomed the political progress of the past 10 years but had a somewhat jaundiced view about what he viewed as ersatz opportunistic republicans jumping on the Sinn Féin bandwagon. While loyal to the party he was never shy of criticising the leadership. He surprised some by his willingness to join the local district policing partnership to help seal Sinn Féin support for policing in Strabane.
He enjoyed cordial relations across the political divide and even made friends with some old sparring partners such as former Ulster Unionist councillor Edward Turner, who was at his funeral. As his republican friend, Liam McElhinney, said: "He was the sort of man who had no room in his heart for rancor."
Ivan Barr: born 1938; died May 9th, 2008
An Phoblacht 15th May 2008
Sinn Féin councillor and former chairperson of the Civil Rights Association
REPUBLICANS throughout Ireland and further afield have been shocked and saddened at the death on Friday, 9 May, of veteran republican Ivan Barr.
Ivan, a Sinn Féin councillor of many years standing, passed away at his home in Strabane, County Tyrone.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP expressed his “deep sense of shock” on hearing the news.
On behalf of Sinn Féin, Adams extended his sincerest condolence to Ivan’s wife, Judy; his sons and daughters, Jeffery, Judith, Ivan, Ann Marie, Liam, Dean, and Seán; his brothers, Charlie, Tommy and Raymond; his sisters Wilma and Finwell and his grandchildren; and his wider family circle.
Gerry Adams said:
“Ivan was a strong and deeply committed republican. Over four decades of activism he was at the forefront of republican politics.
“Ivan was a former chairperson of the Civil Rights Association. As a Sinn Féin councillor he was an effective public representative. He championed major reform of Strabane Council, stood up for the rights of Strabane citizens, and was a stalwart of the republican struggle.
“His loss will be deeply felt by his family but Strabane has also lost a great leader.”
West Tyrone MP and Sinn Féin Vice-President Pat Doherty MP said the deep personal loss felt by Ivan Barr’s immediate family “is shared by so many people, such was the esteem in which Ivan was held not only in his beloved Strabane but far beyond; not only amongst republicans but right across the political spectrum”.
Pat Doherty continued:
“Ivan’s republican activism spanned more than four decades from the Civil Rights era right up until he passed away. Throughout, he remained constant in his commitment to the republican ideals of Tone and Connolly, whether it was standing up to oppression and discrimination, fighting the corner of the least-well-off in our community, making a stand against any form of sectarianism, racism or homophobia, or championing the cause of Strabane on every social and economic issue. Ivan’s commitment to these ideals always shone through.”
The West Tyrone MP described Ivan as a man of deep integrity who will be sorely missed, not least by his loving family.
“Sinn Féin has lost an esteemed comrade and friend and the people of Strabane have lost an outstanding public representative.”
Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún said:
“Ivan was a working-class hero. He worked tirelessly campaigning and working for equality and justice for over 40 years and was an example to all.
“I send my sincere condolences to his wife, Judy, his children and grandchildren.
“Ar dheis láimh Dé go raibh a anam.”
Strabane bids final farewell to Ivan Barr
UPWARDS on 2,000 people attended the funeral of veteran Sinn Féin Councillor Ivan Barr in Strabane on Monday, 12 May.
The national flag and the Starry Plough draped the coffin bearing Ivan Barr’s remains as they left the family home at Bridge Street just after 9am.
The cortege, led by a lone piper and flanked by council colleagues, began the journey as family members carried the coffin along Bridge Street before Sinn Féin pallbearers, including the local MP, Pat Doherty, Martin McGuinness MP and local party councillors carried it on to the junction of Melmount Road.
MASSIVE RESPECT
It was testament to the massive respect held for Ivan Barr in his local community and a practical expression of the inclusive society he espoused all his life that teams of pallbearers representing local GAA clubs, community groups, the Irish-language community, old comrades, and representatives from all shades of political belief and opinion took turns carrying the coffin the length of the Melmount Road, where family members once again took over for the short remaining journey to Melmount Chapel.
The chapel was packed to overflowing as local priest Fr Pat O’Hagan celebrated Requiem Mass.
In what was a very emotional ceremony, some of Ivan’s children and grandchildren participated in readings and fitting offerings. Moving tributes were also paid at the end of the ceremony in an address from the altar by Strabane District Council Chief Executive Philip Faithful and in a poem by Ivan’s brother Raymond.
DEDICATED SOCIALIST
The cortege then made the final journey to Melmount Cemetery, where the burial ceremony took place.
On presenting the national and Starry Plough flags to the Barr family, Councillor Jarlath McNulty then introduced Ivan’s lifelong friend and comrade, Liam McElhinney, to deliver the oration.
Liam said that Ivan was a republican but most of all a socialist who dedicated his life to improving the lot of the working man and woman and who gave practical expression to the ideals of Tone, Mellows and Connolly in his every action.
He recounted their early days growing up together in the Foot of the Town and told how life changed for both of them forever in 1968 when Ivan, as chairperson of the local Civil Rights Association, and Liam as Secretary, launched themselves into organising an endless series of activities such as protests, marches, and ballots before Ivan went on to become Six-County chairperson of the Civil Rights Association.
He said at the time both were also members of the Republican Movement and it was the understanding that without national sovereignty there could be no true social justice. It was the organisational seeds sown in those early years which have been the foundations of the political strength of Sinn Féin today, he said.
ENERGY AND SKILLS
Liam said that, despite travelling different paths for a time, they remained constant friends and that when the 1981 Hunger Strikes came Ivan could not accept any party that would not stand up for the just demands of the Hunger Strikers and once again brought his massive energy and unique skills to the benefit the Republican Movement.
In 1985, Ivan felt that the time was right to take on the role of public leadership again and was first elected to the local council that year and at every subsequent election.
Liam went on to recount the conversation he had with Ivan at Altnagelvin hospital a fortnight previously, when the conversation invariably turned to politics. He said that they talked about having set out on this journey together and would want to finish it together by realising the objective of a 32-county sovereign and democratic republic. He concluded by saying that, alas, Ivan has now gone but hopefully this journey will be realised.
In a final tribute, republican ex-prisoner Terry Boyle gave a powerful and moving rendition of The Ballad of Joe Hill.
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
Guardian 11 May 2008
Sinn Fein councillor Ivan Barr dies
Strabane councillor and Sinn Fein representative Ivan Barr has died after a short illness. Barr had been involved in politics for more than 40 years and was a former chairman of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
While chairman of Strabane district council in 2001, he was at the centre of a political storm after shaking hands with DUP colleague Thomas Kerrigan.
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness paid tribute to Barr, who 'treated everyone with respect'.
'He was courteous and cordial at all times. But I think most of all he was a champion of working-class people,' said the Deputy First Minister. 'He was an advocate for them, and a very effective advocate. We are all deeply saddened at his death.'
Strabane SDLP councillor Eugene McMenamin described Barr as a true socialist. 'Although our parties had different views, I can honestly say it was an honour to have worked with, and have known, a genuine man. Ivan Barr will be sadly missed,' he said.
BBC NEWS 10 May 2008
Death of SF councillor Ivan Barr
Strabane councillor and Sinn Fein representative Ivan Barr has died after a short illness.
Mr Barr had been involved in politics for over 40 years and was a former chairman of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
While chairman of Strabane District Council in 2001, he was central to a political storm after shaking hands with DUP colleague Thomas Kerrigan.
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said Mr Barr "treated everyone with respect".
"He was courteous and cordial at all times. But I think most of all he was a champion of working class people," said the deputy first minister.
"He was an advocate for them, and a very effective advocate. We are all deeply saddened at his death."
Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, said that Mr Barr "championed major reform of Strabane Council, stood up for the rights of Strabane citizens, and was a stalwart of the republican struggle".
Strabane SDLP councillor Eugene McMenamin described Mr Barr as "a true socialist".
"Although our parties had different views, I can honestly say it was an honour to have worked with, and have known, a genuine man. Ivan Barr will be sadly missed," he said.
Mr Barr is survived by his wife Judy and seven children in Strabane.
