Barry's Amusements
| Previously known as Barry's | |
 Park logo | |
| Location | Portrush, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°12′11″N 6°39′14″W / 55.203°N 6.654°W |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Slogan | "Fun is our business" |
| Operating season | 20 March 2010 - 5 November 2010 |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 14 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Website | www.barrysamusements.com |
Barry's Amusements is the largest theme park in Northern Ireland and also the largest on the island of Ireland.[1] It is situated in the centre of Portrush on the north coast. It is a popular family attraction for visitors to the area.
In 1925, traveling members of the Chipperfield and Trufelli circus families were invited by the local railway company to permanently locate in Portrush on a site beside the railway station. The name 'Barry's' is based on an early supplier (Barr). Barry's maintains a mixture of traditional and modern amusements.
Attractions
| Name | Opened | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| Barry's Big Dipper | 2003 | A compact steel roller coaster, updated in 2003. Originally built in 1991 by Pinfari of Italy. |
| Experience | 2006 | This is one of Barry's main thrill rides, brought in to replace the Satellite. The ride is similar to the popular fairground attraction Orbiter. |
| Freak out | 2003 | The Freak Out is a pendulum-based fairground ride. The riders sit facing each other on chairs suspended around the bob on the pendulum. During motion, the pendulum climbs to a maximum angle of 120° and reaches a height of 22 meters (72 ft.). Whilst swinging, the chairs rotate around the axis of the pendulum. |
| Big apple | The big apple is Barry's kiddie roller coaster, the roller coaster carts are designed to look like a caterpillar and the ride takes the passengers through a giant apple, two rotations are given as the ride is quite short. | |
| Barry's Express | 2008 | The Barry's Express is a new kids' ride brought in for the 2008 season, it is a train with three carriages that travels around a circular track, with swaying carriages and music. |
| Turtle Splash | 2006 | The turtle splash is the only water ride in Barry's, it is a mini log flume designed for kids. The logs in which the passengers sit are designed as turtles to fit in to the theme of the ride. |
| Dodgems | A large dodgem track with 27 cars, each able to seat two people. | |
| Mini Dodgems | The mini dodgems are the kids equivalent to the dodgems, the speed has been reduced and the cars made smaller to allow the kids to reach the foot pedals and steering wheel. | |
| SRV | The SRV is a motion simulator ride (a movie plays and the coach moves to make you feel like you are actually in it). The movie changes either on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, the current movie is Superstition. | |
| Ghost Train | The ride consists of a train that moves quite slowly through a darkened tunnel decorated with horror related items (e.g. models of skeletons, witches and ghosts). "Spooky" music and/or sound effects are played through the ride. | |
| Cyclone | The cyclone is a thrill ride in which riders, suspended in spinning cars experience the illusion that they will crash into other suspended, spinning cars. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. | |
| Carousel | The "seats" are in the form of wooden horses, which are moved mechanically up and down to simulate galloping. This particular carousel is boasted to be over 100 years old.[2] | |
| Monte Carlo | The Monte Carlo is a kids ride in Barry's it has a variety of vehicles mounted on a circular platform which spins in a circle to make it feel like the child is driving their chosen vehicle. | |
| Helter Skelter | 1973 | The Helter Skelter is a slide built in a spiral around a high tower. Users climb up inside the tower and slide down the outside on a mat. |
Opening hours
Barry's opens on a seasonal basis, normally from around 2 weeks before Easter until the first week in September, the opening hours during the school season is:
Monday–Friday = Closed
Saturday = 12.30 – 10.30
Sunday = 12.30 – 9.30
Then during June the opening hours are changed to allow for school trips during the week, they are as follows:
Monday - Friday = 10 – 6
Saturday = 12.30 – 10.30
Sunday = 12.30 – 9.30
During the summer (July–August) Barry's is open 7 days a week:
Monday - Sunday = 12.30 – 10.30
On certain special holidays e.g. Easter Monday, Tuesday, May Day etc. Barry's opens from 11 – 10.30
For more precise opening times a calendar can be found at the following link [1]
Workforce
Barry's has a long standing reputation of providing jobs for teenagers in the local area, rides are operated by older members of staff but the ride attendants are mostly school-going teenagers.
Barry's in the media
- A book, Fun is Our Business was published by Colourpoint Books in 2006 to celebrate Barry's 70th anniversary.
- A BBC NI documentary "Your Place and Mine" was filmed about Barry's in 2006, it was aired around October of the same year.[3]
Notes and references
External links
- [2] - home page of Barry's Amusements
- [3] - Fun is Our Business, the official book celebrating Barry's 70th anniversary