[1] [2] Patrick was the only son of Christopher Plunkett, 8th Baron of Dunsany, and his Derbyshire-born wife Mary (née Babington).
[1] The 9th baron took an active part in talks between leading Catholic peers and the King's representatives in the 1620s.
He was given new lands in several counties, even as some in government were concerned about the number of Catholic clergy within his extended family.
While eventually agreeing to support the rebellion, he also sheltered Protestant families, helping some reach Dublin.
His lands were seized by Oliver Cromwell's forces in the 1650s, and he lived in deprived circumstances for many years thereafter.