[2] He was born in County Wicklow into a wealthy Irish Protestant land-owning family; namely of Glendalough House.

[2][3] Educated in England at Rugby and Oxford, he became an officer in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on the outbreak of World War I.

[4] He was stationed in Dublin during the 1916 Easter Rising and came into contact with many of its imprisoned leaders in the aftermath while on duty at Richmond Barracks.

Barton reluctantly signed the Treaty on 6 December 1921, defending it "as the lesser of two outrages forced upon me and between which I had to choose".

Barton died at home in County Wicklow on 10 August 1975, at the age of 94, the last surviving signatory of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

In 1969, RTÉ Television interviewed Barton, alongside Ernest Blythe and James Ryan, about the 1918 general election.

[16][17] Glendalough House, run by Barton for over 70 years until his death, is still considered one of Ireland's most notable properties,[2][18][19] alongside nearby Powerscourt Estate.

[20] It's also been featured as a location in many large Hollywood films including Excalibur,[21] Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart.