Sarah "Venie" Barr (3 October 1875 – 1 November 1947) was an Irish political and community activist.

Life

Sarah "Venie" Barr was born Sarah Moyles in

Abbeyleix Abbeyleix (; ) is a town in County Laois, Ireland, located around south of the county town of Portlaoise. Abbelyleix is in a civil parish of the same name. Abbeyleix was formerly located on the N8, the main road from Dublin to Cork. At one p ...

, County Laois, on 3 October 1875. She was the daughter of trader James Moyles and his wife Eliza Jane Moyles (née Pratt). She was an original member of the Ulster Women's Unionist Council (UWUC), serving as member of the standing committee, and appointed the first chief of the Post House Staff of the

Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from North ...

in 1914. At a meeting of South Belfast Women's Association upon the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, she proposed that a fund be created to send gifts to soldiers. This saw the foundation of the Ulster Women's Gift Fund for War Hospital Supplies which sent medicine, food and books to navy and army units as well as hospitals and prisons of war. In November 1918, the fund had raised £119,481. She served as the honorary treasurer of the Gift Fund from 1918, continuing the work of the fund into

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. For her work, Barr was awarded a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1920. Barr was a speaking delegate for the UWUC to the UUC (now

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...

), going on to sit as assistant honorary treasurer from 1920 to 1930, honorary treasurer from 1930 to 1947 and vice chair from 1923 to 1925 and 1935 to 1947. Barr also served as the chair of St Anne's Women's Unionist Association from 1918 to 1947. She was the honorary treasurer of the

Girl Guides Association Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association in the United Kingdom, previously named The Girl Guides Association, which was formed in 1910. It is the original Girl Guides organisation in the world and, in 1928, became a founding m ...

. She was also the honorary of the Belfast Council of Social Welfare, and under this capacity she visited Canada in 1930. Barr was the president of

Toc H Toc H (also TH) is a registered charity and an international Christian movement. The name is an abbreviation for Talbot House, "Toc" signifying the letter T in the Royal Corps of Signals#History, signals spelling alphabet#History, spelling alpha ...

Women Helper, Belfast Branch. She married

Ainsworth Barr Ainsworth Barr (9 December 1875 — 19 December 1934) was an Irish international rugby union player. Biography Born in Belfast, Barr was the son of James Barr, a director of the whiskey distillery Dunvilles. He attended the local Methodist Colle ...

, a stockbroker and international rugby half-back, in 1901. The couple had at least two sons. They lived at Ravenna, Malone Road,

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, where Sarah Barr died on 1 November 1947. The UWUC inaugurated the Barr memorial cup in 1948, a cup awarded to the branch enjoying the highest percentage of female voters on its registers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Sarah Venie 1875 births 1947 deaths People from Abbeyleix Irish activists 20th-century Irish women