 Phaire was born about 1619 (for on 24 March 1654 his age is reported as thirty-five), the son of the Revd Emmanuel Phaire from Devonshire, who had migrated to Ireland and in 1612 became rector of Kilshannig, county Cork.Both father and son were living Duhallow in county Cork in 1641 when the Irish Uprising started.They both sustained losses.