President Higgins leads tributes to former tánaiste Peter Barry

The President and Taoiseach led tributes from across the political spectrum last night following the death of former tánaiste and deputy leader of Fine Gael, Peter Barry, one of the architects of the peace process.

Mr Barry, who as foreign affairs minister played a key role in negotiating the 1985 Anglo Irish Agreement, and who spearheaded the expansion of his family’s Barry’s Tea business empire to become one of Ireland’s top brands, died yesterday, surrounded by his family, in Marymount Hospice in Cork after a short illness.

He was 88.