He’s never short of an opinion but with that sharp North-West wit he can lighten any contentious debate with a broad smile or a bit of humour . Editor Clarence Hiles put Barry in the Hot-Seat with ten probing questions and got some lively answers...
1 You have an interesting job as CricketEurope Ireland editor on top of a host of other commitments. How do you juggle all your roles?
I don't sleep! Seriously though, it's hard work but I love every minute of it. In recent years my efforts have been concentrated mostly on the Ireland set-up. The media interest in the team has really taken off, and I have to service that. It's amazing how little things can change your destiny. I was captaining Ardmore Seconds in 2000, when I got a late call up to the senior team as a player was injured. It was an away fixture at Drummond, and they were 30 for 2 chasing 150 when Gerard Brolly threw me the ball. I dismissed Wasim Haider, (who had played in the 1992 World Cup with Pakistan) with my first ball and ended up taking 3-15 in 8 overs as we won easily. I never tire of telling that story - I think it was the second bounce that baffled him! Next day I was chatting to Brian Coyle, and he told me about an Irish cricket website run by John Elder and I saw that the result of our game was missing and emailed him the score and brief details. John replied and told me he was looking for someone to cover North-West cricket for the site. I'd always been interested in journalism, and covered local soccer in the papers, so I relished the chance to get involved in cricket reporting. As they always say the rest is history. CricketEurope has expanded greatly. In the old CricketIreland days, with just John Elder and myself; there was a lot of pressure to produce articles and material to keep the site fresh. Now we have a first-class team of nine associates assembled from various countries, and have a wealth of contributors. John Boomer looks after the Ulster site, while Rod Lyall, David Potter, Andrew Nixon, Peter Power, Jonathan Wilbiks and Nick Deverell are in charge of their respective countries. I’m still the NW PRO as well, and try and cover as much local cricket as I can. I enjoy being on Radio Foyle, and now that they have a live Saturday show, cricket is one of their main features. There are lots of reports and cards to be compiled for the local papers, and of course photographs.
Lawrence Moore has been nothing short of magnificent these past few years, and hasdeputised for me while I'm on my travels. I've also built up a network of contacts that supply scores, news and gossip. The photography aspect of my work is one that I enjoy most - the late Billy McLeod took me under his wing, and showed me the tricks of the trade. I really did learn from the best. In a profession where there is such a cut-throat attitude taken by most, I'll never forget his generosity.
One amusing incident occurred when I was just starting. It was at an Under-16 cup final when the trophies were being presented, and myself and another photographer were there. He refused to let me take any photos and tried to put his hand in front of my camera! It got a bit heated but thankfully Charlie Mc Elwee intervened and I got my snaps. On the way out of the ground I had a fewverbals with my rival and told him that if he ever spoke to me like that again, I'd shove his camera where the sun didn't shine! I supposed I'd better mention the day job at this stage! I've worked in Invista (formerly Du Pont) for 17 years now, and they have been superb. They paid for me to do my Masters in Computing, and my boss David Keys has been supportive in rescheduling my work patterns. The rest of my colleagues have had to put up with my constant shift swaps, weekends off, and disappearing for up to six weeks at a time!
2 You obviously enjoy the Forum. What gives you the buzz in this particular role?
The Forum is my favourite part of the site, and having looked at the patterns of visitors who log on, it's the same for most. It's just the variety of topics and opinions that emerge. Everyone can be heard, and although I don't agree with many, I still feel they have every right to have their say. It's also a great way for the various cricket unions to find out what people think should be the way forward, although there is a genuine dislike for the Forum from some quarters. I like the way nothing can be swept under the carpet any more - 'open government' if you like. Perhaps that's the reason why some people don't abide it, despite the fact that EVERYONE reads it! I try and bring a sense of balance with my Ed's Notes, but that doesn't make me immune from criticism either!
3 Ardmore men are renowned for sharp wit and shooting from the lip. Is this how you see yourself in this role?
I must have been born somewhere else! I'd like to think I have a sense of humour, and that has helped me throughout the years. I take after my late father in that I'm pretty quiet mostly, and go by his adage of 'never make an enemy when you can make a friend'. Of course, I do like a drink from time to time, and you can ignore the sentiments in the above paragraph when this happens!
4 You’ve been in Irish Cricket Union circles for a few years now. Has the North-West Union a stronger presence now than when you first arrived on the scene?
‘Yes and no’ is the answer. Big Roy Torrens is still the manager of the senior team, and does a great job in what is not always the easiest of circumstances. His deputies in recent years have also been from the NW region - Ivan Lapsley and Gavin Craig, who is in UAE and going on to Bangladesh with the team. The late Bob Kerr held prominent roles, and former Chairman Joe Doherty is on the newly-constituted Board along with former international player Allan Rutherford. It's on the playing front that we are not too strong as present. With Peter Gillespie gone, our representation for most of last year was Boyd Rankin and William Porterfield, both of whom were playing their cricket elsewhere. That's why it so good to see Phil Eaglestone winning a place in the current squad. Hopefully he'll be in the ranks for some time to come.
