Barrington was born in Monkstown, County Dublin as the son of an official importer for CAV (a predecessor of Lucas) for tractors in Ireland.

Manliffe also occasionally raced cars including finishing 4th at Phoenix Park in 1937 driving a Rapier.

The 250 cc Lightweight TT race was won by Barrington in what proved highly controversial circumstances from teammate Maurice Cann.

Despite a protest to the ACU, the result was allowed to stand as "....in those days of wind-up watches and hand-written records, the officials had under-estimated Barrington's time by a minute.

During practice for the 1952 Senior TT race, Barrington was riding a 500 cc Norton when engine seizure at the left-hand bend before the Barregarrow cross-roads resulted in a crash, and a broken thigh caused his retirement from motorcycle racing.