He spent most of his career playing for Shelbourne in the League of Ireland with whom he had three spells from 1958 to 1966, 1971–75 and 1978–80, managing them during the 1979–80 season.
At the end of the 1966–67 season he was offered a chance to sign for Chicago Spurs in the National Professional Soccer League.
After just two days in America, Barber scored twice on his debut at Oakland Clippers, and went on to finish third top scorer in the NPSL.
Then Barber got the offer of moving to Vienna to play for Wiener Sport-Club, but despite an impressive start with nearly a goal a game in his first eleven games, an injury and subsequent row about the treatment for it saw him eventually return to Dublin as Shels paid an IR£3,000 transfer fee for him in November 1971.
[4] He played for Shels in their FAI Cup Final defeats in 1973 and 1975, being red-carded in the replay of the 1973 decider in Flower Lodge.