His wife was Ellen (alive 1664), daughter of Charles MacCarthy and a granddaughter of Richard Barry of Ballinaltig.
His known children were: Ó Cathail had a number of successive employments as a household or court harper in Ireland and England.
He probably commenced his career in the service of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant at Barryscourt Castle.
Between 1607 and 1619 he was harper to Anne of Denmark, wife of the English king James I in London.
[3] From his income and pensions he was able to buy land in County Cork and parts of the province of Connacht, to where he returned to retire.