He played Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1970 until 1978.
Two years later Barrett captured that elusive county winners' medal when Nemo Rangers defeated UCC.
[1] St. Vincent's of Dublin provided the opposition, however, a late Jimmy Keaveney point forced a draw and a replay.
[citation needed] Barrett first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor football team in the early 1960s.
By the late 1960s Barrett had joined the Cork senior team, however, they had to play second fiddle to Kerry.
A 0–25 to 0-14 trouncing of back-to-back All-Ireland champions Kerry gave Barrett a Munster winners' medal.
The 5–12 to 1–15 defeat of arch-rivals Kerry showed the traditional football powers that Cork were coming.
That year Munster defeated Leinster in a replay, giving him a Railway Cup winners' medal.
Three years later in 1975 Barrett captured a second Railway Cup title following a high-scoring victory over Ulster.