Patrick Plunkett, 9th Baron of Dunsany facts for kids

Patrick Plunkett, 9th Baron of Dunsany (1595–1668) was an important Irish nobleman and politician. He lived during a time of great change and trouble in Ireland.

Early Life and Family

Patrick Plunkett was the only son of Christopher Plunkett, 8th Baron of Dunsany. His mother was Mary Babington, who was from Derbyshire in England.

When his father passed away in 1603, Patrick became the 9th Baron of Dunsany. He was still a child at the time, so Sir Patrick Barnewall looked after him and his family's affairs.

Patrick mainly lived at Castlecorr, which was near the border of County Cavan in County Meath. He also spent time at Dunsany Castle, especially in the late 1640s and after the King returned to power.

Role in Politics

As an adult, Patrick Plunkett became very active in Irish politics. In the 1620s, he took part in important discussions between leading Catholic nobles and the King's representatives.

He was given new lands in different counties. However, some people in the government were worried because many Catholic priests were part of his extended family.

The 1641 Rebellion

In 1641, a rebellion started in Ulster. Patrick attended a meeting of the Irish Parliament to discuss what to do. He even offered to help settle things peacefully. He became more involved in the arguments among the main Irish families.

Even though he eventually decided to support the rebellion, he also helped Protestant families. He even helped some of them get safely to Dublin. Because of his actions, he was held in Dublin Castle from March 1642 to September 1643.

After the Rebellion

In 1648, Patrick Plunkett swore an oath of loyalty to the Catholic Confederation. This was a group of Irish Catholics who had formed their own government during the wars.

In the 1650s, his lands were taken away by the forces of Oliver Cromwell. For many years after this, Patrick lived in very difficult conditions.

When the King returned to power in 1660, it seemed like Patrick would get his lands back. However, a court ruling later went against him. Even so, he managed to make sure that one of his sons would get all the rights to the lands back in the future. In 1665, he got back his title to Dunsany Castle and about one-third of his original lands. The rest were supposed to be returned later, but this did not fully happen.

Death and Successors

Patrick Plunkett passed away in 1668. Both of his sons, Christopher and Edward, had died before him. Because of this, his grandson, also named Christopher, became the next Baron of Dunsany.