Ivan had already played a key role in the NI Civil Rights movement before his election to Strabane District Council in 1985. He and his party colleague Charlie McHugh were the first Sinn Fein members to take up seats on the local district council, and both proved to be outspoken advocates on behalf of the republican and wider nationalist community.

Ivan was always to the fore during the robust debates which took place in the council chamber; they were often heated, particularly during the years when the DUP strongly resisted the presence of Sinn Fein representatives and protested vociferously at the election of a Sinn Fein council chairman. Undaunted, Ivan made history when he became the first Sinn Fein council chairman in Northern Ireland and went on to hold the senior position three times.

While Ivan never shied away from articulating his viewpoint, his integrity gained him the respect of political ally and foe alike. Modest and unassuming by nature, he was a genuinely decent and honourable human being and a true gentleman.

Long before the days of Sinn Fein press officers, Ivan was his own one-man PR machine, churning out statements on an almost daily basis. His press releases were legendary; they were always impeccably hand-written and word perfect in the days before computers and spell-checks, albeit on the lengthy side! They often highlighted controversial issues such as the harassment of members of the nationalist community by what was termed the 'crown forces,' but they also covered the full range of 'bread and butter' issues affecting the daily lives of his constituents, such as the need for the government to address Strabane's chronic unemployment. Ivan was also instrumental in bringing about much needed transparency within Strabane District Council in relation to the way ratepayers' money was spent.

There is no doubt that Ivan Barr laid the foundations on which Sinn Fein's well-oiled machine would be built at grassroots level.

Ivan devoted his entire life to his republican socialist ideals and was a true champion of the working class. During one of the memorable interviews he gave me after being elected council chairman he described the sense of injustice he felt at the social and economic deprivation which had blighted his home town. He recalled that many families of his parents' generation had lived in near abject poverty, a legacy of years of neglect by successive British governments.

He spent every hour of his waking day helping to lead Strabane and its people towards a better and brighter future.

Ivan Barr played a central role in the transformation of Strabane through his work on the council and on many other bodies of which he was a member.