1st Earl of Cork, 1st Viscount Dungarvan, 1st Baron Boyle of Youghal, Lord High Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland

Richard Boyle, the Great Earl of Cork, purchased Sir Walter Raleigh's estates for £1,500. They consisted in the main of three towns, Youghal, Cappoquin and Lismore, linked by the navigable River Blackwater. Boyle, who received his earldom in 1620, had a sensational career. He arrived in Ireland in 1588 aged 22, with £27 in his pocket, a diamond ring, a bracelet, and the clothes he stood up in but, by the time of his death in 1644, he had amassed enormous wealth. His second wife was Katherine, only daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton, principal Secretary of State and Privy Councillor of Ireland. Of their seven daughters and seven sons the most famous was Robert Boyle, the philosopher and father of modern chemistry, who was born at Lismore in 1626. Four of the sons became peers and Lord and Lady Cork had no difficulty in marrying their daughters into the nobility, on account of their wealth and influence.

The first Earl's rise to fame and fortune was the result of his success in colonizing his great estates with hard working Protestants, and in the establishment of schools, roads and bridges to facilitate the proper development of industry and agriculture. He enlarged and embellished Lismore Castle, his principal residence. From 1610 onwards, but owing to rebellion, fire, neglect and subsequent alternation little remains at Lismore of the seventeenth century other than the walls, which have been considerably added to since. He entertained lavishly and no doubt spared no expense in embellishing the interior. In 1614 'two glasurs' were paid for putting the staircase and schoolhouse 'into colours', and a plaster was engaged 'to ceil with fretwork my study, my bed chamber, and the nursery and to wash them with Spanish white.' His account books are among the Lismore manuscripts in the National Library, Dublin, and his diaries are at Chatsworth. Together they give as full an account as will be found of any building of this date in Ireland. In 1617 he had an elaborate tomb made, with effigies of himself, his wife, and children, which may be seen in the church at Youghal (see photo right) - he was not to need it for another thirty years.

The garden walls at Lismore, which means in Irish 'great fort', date from 1626 and are just as the Great Earl left them, wide enough to walk along. They were not merely built for ornament; they played an important part in the siege of 1642. Lord Broghill, the Earl's third son repulsed this siege, by a Catholic Confederate force. While surrounded by 5,000 Irish 'Rebells' under the command of Sir Richard Beling, Lord Broghill writes to his father, who had removed to Youghal for safety:

'I have sent out my Quarter-mailer to know the posture of the enemy; they were as I am informed by those, who were in the action, 5000 strong, and well armed, and that they intent to take Lismore; when I have received certain intelligence, if I am a third part of their number, I will meet them tomorrow morning, and give them one blow before they destroy us.'