BIO: Per a year 2000 issue of Cork's "Irish Roots" magazine, the richest Irishman of the past millennium was Richard BOYLE, the first earl of Cork, who arrived in Ireland with 27 pounds but was worth an estimated 12.3 billion pounds (in today's money) when he died in 1643. BOYLE was the most successful of the "New English" who came to Ireland during the Tudor conquests. He arrived in Ireland at age 22 and became a minor land official. Later, he married a Limerick heiress coming into an estate worth 500 pounds a year. Regarded as an upstart by local dignitaries, he made a number of enemies, who had him jailed for embezzlement for a brief period around 1592. The accusations and sniping continued and at one point BOYLE was summoned before the Star Chamber. However, he managed to turn the tables on his accusers, who were themselves suspended from office. BOYLE bought Sir Walter RALEIGH's estate and became the virtual governor of Munster. He received his earldom in 1620. At his death he was worth 500,000 pounds and was almost certainly the richest man ever to have lived in Ireland.