Eyre, Edward (1626–83), Cromwellian settler, was the sixth son of Giles Eyre of Bickworth, Wiltshire; nothing is known of his mother. He first went to Ireland in 1649–50, serving in the Cromwellian forces, and later settled in Galway city. The commonwealth made various attempts to encourage protestant settlement in Galway, but Eyre was the only settler of note there. During the 1650s he obtained extensive holdings in the town at the expense of dispossessed catholic property owners. Among these was a Robert Martin who, following the restoration in 1660, obtained a royal order for reinstatement to his town house in Galway. However, Eyre reacted with contempt, and with good reason. The king had been restored to the throne at the invitation of protestant England and could not be seen to be too generous towards catholics. Moreover, Eyre was a locally influential figure: he was recorder of Galway in 1659 and 1661, and MP for Galway borough in the 1661–6 parliament. The Irish house of commons eventually upheld Eyre's claim to the property. Thereafter, he remained heavily involved in the affairs of Galway corporation, being mayor (1663), mayor of the staple (1669), and deputy recorder (1680). In 1670 he received a lease of large tracts around Galway city, including what later became Eyre Square. He died 4 April 1683 and was buried in St Nicholas's church, Galway city. He was predeceased by his wife, Jane (maiden name and date of marriage unknown); they had three sons and two daughters.
His elder brother John Eyre (d. 1685), Cromwellian settler, was their father's third son; like Edward, he too went to Ireland as part of the Cromwellian army in 1649–50, serving as colonel under Henry Ireton (qv). He settled at Eyrecourt castle, Co. Galway, and in 1657 he was appointed to a commission for settling confiscated lands in Galway and Mayo. Elected mayor of Galway (1661), he represented Galway borough as MP 1661–6 (along with Edward) and appears as alderman of Galway in 1661. He married (1662) Mary, daughter of Phillip Begoe, high sheriff of King's Co. (Offaly). He died in 1685.