Tributes are being paid to late celebrity hairstylist who 'never forgot his Limerick roots'

TRIBUTES have been flooding in for the late John Barrett, a well-known Limerick-born celebrity hairstylist who is being remembered as a “lovely, warm gentleman” who “never forgot his Limerick roots”.

From Princess Diana to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mr Barrett showed the world that a young Limerick teenager with a dream could have his name known amongst the great hair stylists of all time.

Fashion stylist and model Celia Holman Lee recalled one of her fondest memories of Mr Barrett when she brought him “home to Ireland”.

“He came back to judge a phenomenal fashion show that we did in UL. It was a celebration of student designs twenty years ago. He flew in from New York and I’ll never forget it.

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“It was pouring out of the heavens and he arrived into UL and I’ll always remember it. He had a silk suit on him and the rain had made it shrink a little and he asked me ‘how am I going to dry this Celia?’ and I said there’s a radiator over there if you want to stand next to it,” Celia laughed. “He told that story to anyone who would listen.”

“He was fantastic, one of the greats,” she added.

Fine Gael councillor for Limerick City North Olivia O’Sullivan said it was sad to hear of Mr Barrett’s passing.

“I was in New York a long time ago now. I visited his salon as he had hired another hair stylist that had come out of Limerick,” Cllr O’Sullivan said.

“He was delighted that we were from Limerick and visiting. He was a lovely man. He had some hugely high-profile clients and never forgot his Limerick roots,” she added.

Mr Barrett styled the hair of Catherine Zeta-Jones for her wedding with Micahel Douglas,he styled Princess Diana’s hair on a number of occasions, and also styled Martha Stewart and Beyonce.