it was written by Richard Stanyhurst, who knew Barnewall all his life and married his daughter Janet: the lantern and light as well of his house as of that part of Ireland where he dwelt, who being sufficiently well furnished with the knowledge of the Latin tongue as of the common law of England, was zealously bent on the reformation of his country; a deep and a wise gentleman, spare of speech and therewithal pithy, wholly addicted to gravity....very upright in dealing, measuring all his affairs with the safety of conscience, as true as steel....fast to his friend, stout in a good quarrel, a great householder....of nature mild, rather choosing to pleasure where he might harm than harm where he might pleasure. Family Barnewall married Marion Sherle, daughter of Patrick Sherle of Shallon, County Meath; she inherited the estate of Shallon from her brother John. She and John had been wards of her father-in-law after her mother's death. They had nineteen children, of whom thirteen reached adulthood: Patrick (died 1622), who inherited his father's estates, and was the father of the 1st Viscount Barnewall John (died 1599) of Flemington, who married Cecily Cusack, widow of Christopher St Lawrence, 8th Baron Howth, by whom he had a son and heir, Patrick Catherine, who married Thomas Finglas of Westphailstown Margaret (died 1576), who married Nicholas St Lawrence, 9th Baron Howth, and had three children, including Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth Janet (1560-1579), who married the celebrated historian Richard Stanyhurst Alison, who married firstly John Plunkett and secondly Sir Edward FitzGerald of Tecroghan, County Meath Elizabeth (died 1607), who married Richard (or John) Finglas of Westphailstown Anne (died 1639), who married Sir John Draycott of Mornington, County Meath, son of Henry Draycott, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, and had six children Mabel (died 1620), who married Sir Richard Masterson of Ferns, County Wexford Ismay, who married Richard Delahide of Moyglare (grandson of James Delahide, who was attainted for treason in 1537 as a "prime instigator" of the Rebellion of Silken Thomas), and had issue Eleanor (or Helen) (died 1628), who married James Dillon, 1st Earl of Roscommon (theirs was reputedly a love match) Maud, who married Richard Nugent Mary, who married Patrick Plunkett, 7th Baron Dunsany. Lady Barnewall remarried in 1578 the prominent judge Sir Lucas Dillon, who was the father (by his first wife Jane Bathe) of Eleanor's husband, James