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Beneath the Surface : An Irish Doctor's Journey of Resilience, Empathy and Self-Discovery - Harry Barry

Beneath the Surface

An Irish Doctor's Journey of Resilience, Empathy and Self-Discovery

By: Harry Barry

Paperback | 11 August 2026 | Edition Number 1

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Available: 11th August 2026

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'Beautiful and compelling ... a manual for life' Ryan Tubridy

This book provides unique insights into the life and work of one of Ireland's most influential doctors.' SR STAN KENNEDY

'More than the story of one man's life - it is an invitation to pause, reflect, and find deeper meaning in our own.' DR SABINA BRENNAN

DR HARRY BARRY's life and career has been shaped by defining events: a solitary childhood with chronic illness, a traumatic experience in school, and family tragedies that set him on a course of dedicating his life to medicine and healing.

Beneath the Surface tells that remarkable story. From the halls of University College Dublin in the 1970s, to a remote hospital in Tanzania where he would meet someone who was to have a transformative effect on his approach to health, and on through decades on the front line of Irish general practice, culminating in a life-altering realisation that would see him change the course of his career.

This thought-provoking and inspiring memoir shows us how, by embracing compassion and love, we can transform not only our own lives but the world around us.
Industry Reviews
What an exceptionally beautiful book - a blend of memoir, medicine and meditation. In Beneath the Surface, Harry brings us on a compelling odyssey that weaves his own life story with empathetic reflections on the lives of others. As much a manual for life as it is a biography - Ryan Tubridy

Harry's incisive, empathetic and good-humoured commentary on life is turned to the seasons of his own life ... to moments of joy, of grief and the days of calm in between. Authentic, honest and reflective - it is a real pleasure to join him for a tale well told, of a life well lived - Dr Anne-Marie Creaven, Associate Professor in Psychology, UL

Beneath the Surface is a beautifully inspirational and thought-provoking book which makes for compelling reading from beginning to end, as Harry Barry looks back on his life, from his youth until the present day.

He reflects on the many ups and downs he faced, and through this we see very clearly how he worked tirelessly and relentlessly for his patients, never ceasing in seeking new and better ways of responding to their needs.

This book provides unique insights into the life and work of one of Ireland's most influential doctors.

It is quite simply a remarkable story of a remarkable man - Sr Stan Kennedy

Beneath the Surface is a moving journey through memory, medicine and meaning. In these pages, Dr Barry gently explores identity, connection and resilience with his characteristic combination of honesty, empathy and understated wisdom. A luminous, powerful exploration of becoming, Beneath the Surface reminds us that the richest stories are often the quietest - and that understanding ourselves and listening to each other are the greatest adventures of all - Professor Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin

Beneath the Surface is more than the story of one man's life - it is an invitation to pause, reflect and find deeper meaning in our own. Is a story of love, loss and learning told with honesty and humility. Thought-provoking, insightful and inspiring, it is paradoxically both a simple story and complex contemplation of a life well lived and lessons well learned. I feel enriched by the wisdom shared so gracefully throughout the book.

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