CO-AGDO-095

Record Date: 
29 June 2011
Graveyard: 
Aghada Old
Exact wording of epitaph: 

+
I H S

In
loving memory
of
our fond mother
MARY BARRY
Hadwell
who died 16th July 1922
aged 82 years
her loving son
RICHARD
“The Ardmore Hero”
his darling wife MARY ANN
also her loving daughter
MADELINE GEELEHER
and her beloved husband
RICHARD GEELEHER
Interred in Liverpool England

RIP

Memorial Type: 
Headstone
Grave location
Latitude: 
51.836284722222
Longitude: 
-8.2113163888889
Additional details
Name of recorder: 
Eddie Tucker
Inscription legible: 
Yes
Number of people commemorated: 
5
People commemorated: 
Name: 
Mary
Surname: 
Barry
Date of death - day: 
16
Date of death - month: 
July
Date of death - year: 
1922
Age: 
82
Address: 
Hadwell
Name: 
Richard
Surname: 
Barry
Relationship with first person: 
Son
Name: 
Mary Ann
Surname: 
Barry
Relationship with first person: 
Daughter-in-law
Name: 
Madeline
Surname: 
Geeleher
Relationship with first person: 
Daughter
Name: 
Richard
Surname: 
Geeleher
Address: 
Liverpool
Relationship with first person: 
Son-in-law
Notes: 

 

Richard Barry. The Ardmore Hero by Eddie Tucker, Whitegate

Sligo born Richard Barry was given the name Ardmore Hero for his efforts in endeavouring to rescue the crew of the schooner Teaser.

On Saturday morning March 18th 1911 the Schooner Teaser was wrecked at Curragh , Ardmore during a violent storm. The schooner was bound from Swansea to Killorglin with a cargo of coal.. It had a crew of three, Captain Thomas Hughes, Seaman Fox and Seaman Walsh. John O’Brien saw that the schooner was in dire trouble so he alerted the local coastguard crew who with a number of other locals went to the schooner’s rescue. Rockets were fired in an effort to get lines aboard the vessel but the crew was unable to make use of those lines. Richard Barry and Alexander Neal dived into the raging sea but had to be pulled ashore almost exhausted..

Local Parish Priest Fr John O’Shea and others procured a boat and rushed to the scene. By the time they reached the Teaser its crew was almost dead. Fr O’Shea administered Last Rites. One of the schooner’s crew fell from the rigging into the foaming sea. Barry and Neal jumped in with help from the other locals got him aboard the boat. Despite the gallant effort of would- be rescuers, the three of Teaser’s crew died. Mr. Fox and Mr. Walsh were buried in Ardmore but Captain Hughes was sent home to Wales for burial.

On May 2nd 1911 those involved in the rescue attempt were decorated by King George. Fr O’Shea was awarded the Gold Cross. Richard Barry and Alexander Neal were awarded the Silver Medal.  Constable Daniel Lawson, William Harris, Pat Power, John and Con O’Brien were given appropriate awards.

Richard Barry is buried in Upper Aghada cemetery. The date of his death is not noted. His silver medal was sold on September 25th 2008 for £2,000.