Bartley, Gerald (Gerry) (1898–1975), politician, was born 12 June 1898 in Cloghan RIC barracks, Co. Mayo, son of John Bartley, RIC sergeant, and Ann Bartley (née Costello). He was educated at Clifden, Co. Galway, and O'Connell's School, Dublin, before becoming an insurance official. In 1914 he joined the Irish Volunteers in Clifden; he was a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade (1915–16), and was later attached to the west Connemara brigade of the IRA, becoming commandant of 4th Bn. Between 1918 and 1920 he was a clerk of the dáil courts in Clifden, and during the Anglo–Irish war his house was burned by the Black and Tans. He took the anti-treaty side during the civil war and was imprisoned in Galway, Belfast, and Dublin.
A member of Galway county council (1925–31) and chairman of its finance committee (1928–31), he was a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway (1932–7) and Galway West (1937–65). He was called to the bar (1944) and served as parliamentary secretary to the ministers for agriculture (1951–4) and industry and commerce (1957–9). In July 1959 he was made minister for the Gaeltacht, and in 1961 minister for defence. He retired from politics in 1965, and died 18 April 1975, having donated his body to UCG for medical research. He married (1935) Bridget Angela Monnelly (d. 1974) of Ballina, Co. Mayo. They had no children.