 He encouraged Welsh families to settle in the area, and created one of the country's largest deer parks, with a radius of about seven Irish miles.During the Rebellion of 1641 Chambre and about 160 settlers were besieged in the castle for 22 weeks, compelled to feed on carcasses that "had long lain in lime pits", by a force of around 1,000 insurgents led by the Mastersons, Byrnes and Donal Kavanagh of Ballingate, who also "pulled down ye pulpits, burned ye seats and defaced and demolished the church of Carnowe".When the besieged finally surrendered some of them were hanged, some were detained for service while the largest number, including Chambre, were accompanied by a convoy to Dublin.