From our archives, we reveal a quaint yet poignant tale of the tragic death of Fr Thomas Stephen Barry, an Irishman and “most worthy” priest, killed in action when his favourite horse buckjumped him on one of their spirited escapades.

In the lyrical prose of the period’s newspapers, the story paints a touching and whimsical picture of a colonial Myrtleford when priests donned their cassocks and galloped – with their dogs – across the countryside, and doctors – named Ernest – in a display of dedication pedalled furiously on their bicycles to render aid.

It’s incredible to consider that despite the green means of travel, the accident occurred on Saturday, the coroner’s inquest was held on Sunday, and Fr Barry’s funeral took place on Monday – with a large congregation travelling from far and wide. 

“Sad Fatality: Death of Reverend Father Thomas Barry" (24 September 1898)

An account of the death of Rev. Father Thomas Barry, which was written up in a local newspaper. (We are not sure which one, as the text was subscribed by hand by Grace Maguire of Myrtleford some years ago now).

District residents experienced a very great shock on Saturday 24 September 1898 when it was reported that the Rev Fr Barry had met with an accident at Merriang.

Immediately horsemen, including Messrs D Nial, J Hart, Constable Anderson and others started for the scene and soon the tragic news was received that one of the most worthy priests of the Catholic church was dead.

It appears that he had gone on his mare, a noted jumper, to transact business at Merriang and on his return following his usual custom, he put her at the fence. She appears to have picked up a chip left by the men when fitting the rails and, striking the rails with her knees and shoulders, she threw Father Barry over on his head breaking his neck and skull, and then she fell on his body crushing him most terribly.

Mr Mates, who was on his way to collect his letters about one and a half hours after Father Barry had left, found his body with his dog beside him. He immediately carried the news to Myrtleford.
The body was removed to the Presbytery and an inquiry was held resulting in a verdict of accidental death.

The funeral took place on Monday 26 September, when residents from Wangaratta, Chiltern, Albury, Wodonga, Whorouly, Mudgeganga and other parts of the Colony attended to show by their presence their appreciation of his value and their regret at his loss. Numerous floral tributes and telegrams of sympathy were received.

The funeral service was preached on Sunday at 10.am. by Reverend Father Ryan, who gave a resume of the life of the deceased, whom he had known as a school mate. The resume was frequently broken by the intense emotion of the speaker and the sobs of the congregation. The story portrayed a most exemplary life, the natural forerunner of a career short in its intensity but which gave promise of the poet’s conception that: --

“Nature in her productions slow aspires
By just degrees to reach perfection’s height.”

Among those present at the funeral on Monday 26 were: Father Shanahan (an uncle of the deceased who came 400 miles from Hamilton), Fathers Kennedy and Griffin (Beechworth), Fathers Byrne and Smith (Wangaratta), Fathers O’Connor and Delaney (Chiltern), Father O’Reilly (Nagambie), Dean Davy (Benalla), Reverends Erskine (Presbyterian – Bright) and Oelrich (Church of England – Myrtleford).

Many others would have been present, but the Sunday’s duties intervened. Members of all denominations aided in making the largest funeral seen in this district for years.

Father Barry was born in 1865 at Knocklong, County Limerick, Ireland. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and entered Thurles College, where, after a brilliant course, extending over six years, he entered the Diocese of Sandhurst in November 1890. He was ordained on 24 June 1890.

He was assistant to Fr Madden in Pyramid Hill, thence to Shepparton and afterwards to Chiltern. In each place the same vivid conception of his duties endeared him to the residents.
From the latter place he came to Myrtleford where, during his short residence, he proved himself to be a man of splendid presence, of the highest intellectual powers, a passionate lover of animals, and he always had a kindly sympathetic greeting for everyone from the smallest child to the dusty tramp on the road. His religion was never intrusive, yet it permeated all. His actions controlled a nature simple yet cultured, which charmed while it commanded the admiration of all whom he came in contact with.

He was a splendid horseman and always rode or drove excellent animals. The one that killed him was his favourite jumper and nothing delighted him as much as to exhibit her powers.
He had the utmost confidence in her, so much so that his friends frequently reminded him that she might make a mistake and, as he was a ‘heavy man,’ the consequence might be fatal. In his genial hearty way, the idea was ridiculed, but the unfortunate prophecies were fulfilled.

Looking back on his career mentally during the last few months, his congregation now recall the melancholy tendencies of his utterances as though:

“Around him days and worlds were heedless driven
His Soul had gone, before his dust, to Heaven.”

His last sermon was on the text – “He that loveth danger, in danger shall die.”It was a coincidence and though the danger here implied did not refer to material, but rather to spiritual force, yet the coincidence, taken with his previous utterances, was most striking.

To all comes the time of death – to some as a relief; to others as a punishment; to others again as a lesson to those who remain. Under the last must be placed the late Fr Barry’s death and; if that lesson will go home to his people and teach them the value of a Christian life; if it will enable them to rise nearer to that Throne and so carry out those lessons seamlessly instilled by him and sincerely exemplified by his life, then it is certain that, if he had the choice, he would not regret his departure, but rather accept it as a crowning glory to a short but noble career.

Father Barry is buried in Myrtleford.

Coroner’s Inquest on 25 September  
This excerpt from the Shepparton Advertiser Tuesday 4 October 1898 Page 4

The following evidence was adduced at the inquest held at Myrtleford by Mr Rowan P.M. and coroner, on the body of the late Father Barry, on 25 September, 1898.

Thomas Mates, stock agent, St Kilda, deposed:
Knew the deceased, Rev. Thomas Stephen Barry. He was at my place, Merriang Station, near Myrtleford, on Saturday and left there on horseback about a quarter to one p.m. Asked him to stay to lunch. He said he could not, as he had to go to the Dederang that afternoon and had to be home at Myrtleford at two o’clock. A little before two ‘o’clock I came out from the house after lunch, and saw what I thought to be a riderless saddled horse. Mr Mudge was in the yard. Said to him, “That looks like the priest’s mare!” Then went to the place where the mare was and brought her back. As I was coming back to the house, I saw the body of the deceased lying by the fence. Examined the body, and came to the conclusion that he was dead. Mr Mudge came up by this time. Then went to Myrtleford on horseback for the doctor. He went to Merriang on a bicycle. As soon as I caught deceased’s mare, I noticed that the hair was off one of the knees; the nearside stirrup was across her wither in front of the saddle and the off-side stirrup was missing. When I got to the body, after catching the mare, I found the off-side stirrup on the foot of the deceased. It was after that I went to Myrtleford for the doctor. Returned from Myrtleford in about three-quarters of an hour, and examined the fence which I believed the deceased had jumped the mare over. The fence had evidently been struck by both knees of the mare. Examining the ground I noticed that the mare had slipped to the fence too close to be able to get over it. She must, in my opinion, have struck the fence with her knees and turned right over on the other side of it.

Sameul Frederick Mudge the station manager at Merriang, near Myrtleford, deposed: Knew the deceased, Rev. Thomas Stephen Barry. Last saw him alive about a quarter to one p.m. On Saturday. He was then riding away from Merriang in the direction of Myrtleford. After lunch I came out of the house at Merriang and was followed a few minutes afterwards, by the last witness, Mr Mates. He drew my attention to a horse with a saddle on. I said it looked like the priest’s mare. Mr Mates cantered up to where the mare was, and in a few minutes brought her back. We both identified her as the mare of the deceased. Concluded that an accident had happened, and I rode down to where I believed it had occurred. When I got there Mr Mates had just turned over the body of the deceased on his back. Mr Mates galloped straight away to Myrtleford for the doctor, and I remained with the body.

Ernest Robinson Satton, duly qualified medical practitioner, deposed: On Saturday I was called by Mr Mates to go and see Father Barry at a paddock near Merriang. Rode over on bicycle, and on examining the body found that the deceased was lifeless. He was lying about five feet from the fence on his back, the body being almost cold. His face was swollen and covered with clotted blood. There was froth and blood oozing from his mouth and nose. His nose was also cut on the left side and the nasal bone fractured. There was a pool of blood on the ground about two feet from his face. On further examination of the body on Sunday, I found much bruising to the upper arm and shoulder and, in addition, a simple fracture of the left shoulder. There were no other bruises on the body. In my opinion death was due to the base of the skull. This might have been caused by a fall from a horse.

The coroner found that the deceased came by his death from the fracture of the base of the skull, due to a fall from his horse.