The Parish of Barry, which was originally known as Fethmoreth, Fethmure, Fettermore or Fethmuref was originally bestowed to the monks of Balmerino Abbey in Fife by Alexander II in 1230. An early record of it can be found in a proverb attributed to Thomas the Rhymer:
The monks originally managed the lands from the Grange of Barry and latterly the land was controlled by the office of the Bailies of Barry, an early holder of this position being Sir Thomas Maule of Panmure in 1511.[2]
A number of feus were granted in the Parish around that time, including Ravensby in 1539, Gedhall to David Gardyne in 1541, half of Barry Links and Cowbyres to Walter Cant in 1545 and the other half of the links to Robert Forrester in 1552.[2]
The village is served by Barry Links railway station on the other side of the A930 bypass road. The station itself sees very infrequent service, twice per day each way except Sundays.
A regular hourly bus service between Dundee and Arbroath, operated by Stagecoach East Scotland, calls at stops on Main Street of the village.
The village once had at primary school which closed in 2007.
Alexander Carnegie Kirk, innovative engineer in several fields, was born at Barry on 16 July 1830. His brother John Kirk, a physician, explorer, and naturalist, was born there on 19 December 1832.
Thomas Lowson, who tradition says was the founder of Carnoustie, was born in Barry around 1764 and was still living there in 1797.
