written by J.P. Browne

Last time I spoke about members of the Barry's Family breaking off to do their own acts. Jim Barry Jr. and his sister Pauline had also moved on, changing their act by developing a motor cycle wall of death show. Unfortunately, two of the Barrys' had died by this stage; Louisa in 1921 at the age of 24 and Lillian in 1924 at the age of 23, both from tuberculosis and by the season of 1926/7 the Barrys' seems to have finished as a family circus. But that by no means meant that the Barry's had stopped owning or running circuses. The two other surviving Barry sister’s Evelyn and Minnie were to embark on their own circus shows, and in this segment I will be covering the circus career of Evelyn Barry which involves 'The Royal Italian Circus'.

In 1926/7 Giuseppe Francesco (Frank) Trufelli and W. H. Treherne the owners of the Royal Italian Circus came to Ireland and the Barry’s ran the show for them in which they provided the tent and transport and Trufelli and Treherne, received a percentage of the box office. The Royal Italian Circus was founded in 1863 in Italy by the Volpi Brothers and was probably the most widely traveled circus in the world at that stage. Frank Trufelli along with his two brothers Giuseppe and Nelson were relations of the Volpi’s and joined the circus as children with Frank eventually rising to be top animal trainer. It arrived in Britain sometime in the 1890’s and became a firm favourite with the British public. It was purchased in 1909 by George Arundale after B. Volpi retired.  It changed hands again shortly after, this time been purchased by Fred Ginnett changing its name to Ginnett’s Royal Italian Circus. During the various owner changes Frank Trufelli seems to have stayed with the Royal Italian getting promoted to head Animal Trainer after B. Volpi retired.  In 1913 E. H. Bostock (the English Barnum) bought the circus for his ‘layabout’ son Douglas Bostock who would take the circus abroad for a massive tour of the colonies leaving Britain for South Africa in late 1913. It did initially well in South Africa until World War I broke out which affected business, before moving to India in 1915. It was in India that E. H. Treherne comes on the scene as manager of the Royal Italian. The circus stayed in India until 1923 when it returned to Britain (Douglas returned in 1922) with Bostock selling it to Treherne and Trufelli upon return. They moved to Ireland in 1926/7 after making a deal with the Barry’s with Evelyn becoming the logistical manager for them. Advertisements for the time seem to point to it been a large show:

The new waterproof tent, seating, electric lighting plant, etc. will arrive in your town by motor lorries and traction engines. The performing artistes, etc. will arrive per special train consisting of large corridor saloon, fourteen special freight cars and horse boxes. See the animals arrive at your station. A wonderful show, special seating and a good Orchestra. (Fairly p. 50)

The Royal Italian Circus stayed in Ireland until 1928/9 season moving on rail and road when it then moved back to Britain for a U.K. Tour. Evelyn Barry and Frank Trufelli who had worked day in day out for the last two years married in 1929 and Evelyn already in love with Ireland decided to leave the circus to set up ‘Barry’s Amusement’s in Portrush, Co. Antrim. Treherne also seems to have retired at this time leaving Frank Truffelli as the sole owner of the show.

Frank Truffelli toured Britain with the Royal Italian Circus, returning to Ireland during the off seasons. The Truffelli's appear to have sold the Royal Italian Circus in 1932, and the company was eventually dissolved and sold off in 1934. Following this, Frank retired from circus life entirely and joined Evelyn in the management of Barry’s Amusements.

The adventures of Minnie Barry will be covered in the next installment.

Reference list

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Bostock, E.H. (1928). Menageries, Circuses and Theatres . New York: Frederick A. Stokes.

Browne, J.P. (2025). Chadwick’s Circus. [online] Irish Circus History. Available at: https://www.irishcircushistory.org/post/chadwick-s-circus [Accessed 25 Oct. 2025].

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Jamieson, M. (2006). Frank Trufelli, owner of Barry’s, with daughters Kristina (left) and Lisa. [online] BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/frank-trufelli-owner-of-barrys-with-daughters-kristina-left-and-lisa/28024315.html [Accessed 3 Nov. 2025].

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Smith, L.E. (1940). Life’s a Circus. First ed. New York: Doubleday Doran.