The 24-year-old becomes the third addition to Michael Duff's side in the January transfer window so far.
Penning a deal until the summer of 2026, Cotter links up with the Reds from League of Ireland outfit Shamrock Rovers.
Learn more about our latest recruit below, as we delve a little deeper into the career of Barry Cotter so far.
Barry Cotter was born on 4 December 1998 in Ennis, Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus and is the largest town in County Clare.
County Clare would be the starting roots of Cotter's career, playing for local sides Avenue United and Ennis Town as a youngster. Aged 17, he joined Limerick FC.
It was also during this time that Cotter made his first impression on the national stage with the Republic of Ireland, featuring in a 2-1 loss to Norway for the U19's.
Whilst with the 'Superblues', Cotter was dubbed the 'Irish Neymar', due to his resemblance to the Brazilian footballer both off and on the pitch. Working his way through the ranks, at 19, the wide player made his first team debut in a 3-0 loss to Dundalk FC.
Cotter went on to make 11 league appearances whilst at Markets Field that campaign, attracting the attention of suitors in England.
Cotter swapped County Limerick for East Anglia, signing for Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town in January 2018 on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Despite initially joining the U23s squad, Cotter was given his first-team debut in a 1-0 win at Portman Road in April 2018 against Jose Morais' Reds side. Another appearance followed in the penultimate game of that campaign, being introduced late on in a 4-0 win over Reading at the Madjeski Stadium.
The 6ft defender gained international recognition once again, being called up to the U21s in their European Championship qualifier against Luxembourg. He was an unused substitute in a 3-0 win for the young Boys in Green.
In the summer of 2019, Cotter joined Chelmsford City on loan on an initial one-month loan deal. His debut was a successful day's work for the Clarets, a 4-0 away win against Eastbourne Borough.
Cotter returned to Portman Road for the remainder of the Covid-impacted season, before returning to the Melbourne Stadium the season after on loan in October 2020, until January 2021.
With his contract expiring with Ipswich in the summer of 2021, Cotter returned to his native Ireland, joining Shamrock Rovers.
Making 24 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, Cotter headed to Dublin-based outfit St Patrick's Athletic. A day later, Cotter made his debut in a UEFA Europa Conference League match against Slovenian side NŠ Mura, drawing 1-1.
A month later, Cotter scored his opening goal for 'St Pat's', a fantastic solo effort where the wing-back beat four men before slotting home past his parent's club rivals, Bohemians.
Fresh from the conclusion of the League of Ireland 2022 campaign, Cotter links up with the Reds looking to help Michael Duff's side finish the Sky Bet League One season strongly!
