A Calvinist by religion, he came from the I. of Wight about 1654-55, and settled in the parish of Donaghmore near Castlefin, Co. Donegal, in the townland of Meenahoney, called Carnone or Big Holmestown, and farmed land held under the See of Derry. He married, first, Miss Young of the I. of Wight, by whom he had two daughters and a son. They married and their descendants reside about Convoy. He married, secondly, Miss Irvine, of Co. Fermanagh, by whom he had 3 or 4 children. Two of his sons were killed by King James' followers in 1689. One of them suffered at the Breach of Clady, and the other shortly after died from wounds. The remainder of the family endured great privations at the Siege of Derry. T/2333/1: Pedigree of the Holmes of Meenahoney, with attachments: Public Record Office, Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast, Ireland. Consists principally of extracts from Baskervilles's Genealogical Tables, 2nd edition, 1927, printed privately at Poona, India, having been compiled by H.D. Baskerville, I.C.S., Collector of Kanera, Karwar, India.
This Robert Holmes is thought to be the progenitor of all the closely knit Holmes families of Donegal. It is interesting that nowhere else nearby are there any others, not until you go all the way across Ulster to the Belfast region.