Philip de Barry

Philip de Barry (fl. 1183), was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland. He was the founder of the Barry or De Barry family in County Cork, and common ancestor of the barons Barry and earls of Barrymore.

Contents

Ancestry

Nesta

Philip's role in the invasion and colonisation of Ireland, and his position in the medieval Welsh-Irish Norman society, was largely due to his membership of the extended family of descendants of Princess Nest or Nesta of Deheubarth [1]. Nest had three sons and a daughter with her husband Gerald de Windsor: the daughter, Angharad, married William de Barry.

William de Barry

William Fitz Odo de Barry was the son of Odo or Otho, a Norman knight who assited in the Norman Conquest of England and Wales during the 11th century. William rebuilt Manorbier Castle in stone and the family retained the lordship of Manorbier until the 15th century.

Philip was the second son of William de Barry of Manorbier, and Angharad, daughter of Gerald and Nest. Philip's uncle (his mother Angharad's half brother) was Robert Fitz-Stephen; his cousins were the founders of the great FitzGerald and Carew families in Ireland. Philip's three brothers were:

Lands in Ireland

Philip received from his uncle Robert Fitz-Stephen a grant of three cantreds in his own half of ‘the kingdom of Cork,’ viz. Olethan, Muschiri-on-Dunnegan (or Muskerry Donegan) and Killyde (or Killede) by the service of ten knights[3][4]. These cantreds became the baronies or hundreds of Oliehan (currently known as the baronies of Kinnatalloon and Barrymore), Oryrry (currently known as Orrery and Kilmore) and Ogormliehan respectively. The name Killyde survives in "Killeady Hills", the name of the hill country south of the city of Cork. According to Rev. Barry, the baronies were

"coextensive with the ecclesiastical deaneries of Olethan and Muscry Donnegan in the diocese of Cloyne, and Ocurblethan, in the diocese of Cork. According to the Taxations of A.D. 1302, 1307, as given by Sweetman, the deanery of Olethan comprised the barony of Kinnatalloon, and the Cloyne part of the barony of Barrymore, exclusive of the Great Island and the parish of Mogeesha, which went with Imokilly, till taken from the Hodnets by the Barries in A.D. 1329. The deanery of Muscry Donnegan comprised the barony of Orrery and Kilmore and the Cloyne part of the barony of Duhallow, except Kilshannig parish, which was then in Muskerrylin. The deanery of Ocurblethan comprised the Cork part of the barony of Barrymore and the North Liberties of Cork, except, perhaps, the parish of Currykippane."[5]

Philip de Barry came to Ireland at the end of February 1183[6], accompanied by his brother Gerald and their followers, to take possession of his lands and to assist his half-uncle Robert Fitz-Stephen, and his first cousin Raymond FitzGerald (also known as Raymond Le Gros), in their efforts to recover lands in the modern county of Cork. These cantreds or baronies had been expropriated by another (half) first cousin, Ralph Fitz-Stephen (died 1182), the grandson of Nesta by Stephen, Constable of Cardigan. Robert Fitz-Stephen eventually ceded these territories to Philip de Barry, his half-nephew.

On 24 February 1206, King John I of England confirmed William de Barry, Philip's son, in the possession of these territories and, by letters patent, conferred on him the Lordships of Castlelyons, Buttevant and Barry's Court in East Cork [7]. The family would eventually acquire the honours of Viscount Buttevant and Earl of Barrymore.

Descendants

Philip married the daughter of Richard FitzTancred, castellan of Haverfordwest, and by her had four children:[8]

Philip was born circa 1137/44 and was described by his (not totally impartial) brother Gerald as a wise and honourable man (vir probus ac prudens) [10]. He died while his brother Gerald was at Rome in AD 1199-1200, and was entombed in the church of Manorbier.[11].

Note

According to the "Archdall's Lodge" (1789) source, Robert de Barry, "after his services in Ireland is said to seat himself at Sevington, in Kent," and "about the year 1185 being killed at Lismore,". But as he was elder than his brother Gerald, who was born in 1146 or 1147, this Robert was about forty years old in 1185. The same source reports that the Robert who was slain near Lismore in that year was only an adolescens, that is between fifteen and twenty eight years of age. It is improbable therefore that Robert (aged over 40) was slain at Lismore. That person is more likely to be Philip's son, also called Robert.

References

  1. ^ Expugnatio Hibernica by Giraldus Cambrensis; A B Scott & F X Martin, editors; Dublin 1978 edition; historical introduction page xxi
  2. ^ Expugnatio Hibernica by Giraldus Cambrensis; Book 1 Chapter 42
  3. ^ Smith, "History of Cork", Book 1, chapter i.
  4. ^ Egerton MS., 75 B. M., as quoted in W. A. Copinger's "Historical Notes to Smith's History of Cork," book ii., chapter 2.
  5. ^ Rev. E. BARRY, "Barrymore : records of the Barrys of County Cork from the earliest to the present time, with pedigrees", Cork, 1902.
  6. ^ Expugnatio Hibernica by Giraldus Cambrensis; Book 2, Chapter 20, v94
  7. ^ Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Vol. LXVI, No. 204; July-December 1961; pages 105-116 [1]
  8. ^ Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976
  9. ^ Rev. E. BARRY, "Barrymore : records of the Barrys of County Cork from the earliest to the present time, with pedigrees", Cork, 1902, pg 17
  10. ^ Expugnatio Hibernica by Giraldus Cambrensis; Book 2, Chapter 20, v94
  11. ^ Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barry, Philip de". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.