Gerald (Gerry) Bartley, (1898–1975), politician, was born 12 June 1898 in Cloghan RIC barracks, Co. Mayo, the son of John Bartley, RIC sergeant, and Ann Bartley (née Costello). He was educated at Clifden, Co. Galway, and O’Connell’s School, Dublin, before becoming an insurance official. In 1914 he joined the Irish Volunteers in Clifden; he was a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade (1915–16), and was later attached to the west Connemara brigade of the IRA, becoming commandant of 4th Bn. Between 1918 and 1920 he was a clerk of the dáil courts in Clifden, and during the Anglo–Irish war his house was burned by the Black and Tans. He took the anti-treaty side during the civil war and was imprisoned in Galway, Belfast, and Dublin.
A member of Galway County Council (1925–31) and chairman of its finance committee (1928–31), he was a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway (1932–7) and Galway West (1937–65). He was called to the bar (1944) and served as parliamentary secretary to the ministers for agriculture (1951–4) and industry and commerce (1957–9). In July 1959 he was made minister for the Gaeltacht, and in 1961 Minister for Defence. He retired from politics in 1965, and died 18 April 1975.
The Collection includes Bartley’s Active Service Medal 1917-21 with a Comrac Bar, Service Medal 1971-21 and his Truce Commemoration Medal (1921) issued in 1971 – all in the original presentation boxes. It also includes a medal issued at the opening of the Potez Industrial Ltd. factory in Mervue in 1963 by Taoiseach Seán Lemass and a marble writing desk presented to Bartley by the Salthill Cumann Fianna Fáil on his retirement.
