The future of Barry’s Amusements on Northern Ireland’s north coast is in doubt after the company’s owners said it is putting the business back on the market.
The Trufelli family, which founded the iconic attraction in Portrush nearly 100 years ago, said it has been trying to sell Barry’s since October 2019 and, while it hopes to sell as a going concern, the site is also being marketed as a development opportunity.
Closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the family said in a statement it “will not re-open until the sale process has concluded.”
On joint marketing agent Savills website the site has a £2.75 million price tag and is described as having “excellent opportunity to develop a high quality mixed-use scheme”.
Savills prounce it as the “last remaining seafront development site in Portrush” and said indicative schemes have been prepared for it around “residential, hotel & leisure and recreation”.
As one of the only major amusement parks in Northern Ireland for many years, Barry’s has been enjoyed by generations of children and adults, many of whom would mourn its loss.
Hopes had been raised of a potential buyer back in November 2019 when Curry’s Amusements, which operates Curry’s Funpark at Leisureland Salthill Galway and is based in Londonderry, expressed an interest to Kristina Trufelli, co-owners of Barry’s Amusements. However, that interest appears to have dissipated.
The latest statement from the Trufelli family suggested the sale process has been difficult.
“This has been an intensive process which has been hindered by the Covid pandemic and the resulting economic conditions,” the statement said. “As we return to a more favourable economic environment, our intention is to re-market the business for sale.
“Whilst our hope is that we will be able to sell the business as a going concern, we recognise that it may not be possible to find a suitable purchaser.
“As a result, we have appointed Savills and Philip Tweedie & Company to market the site as both a going concern and a development opportunity.”
