In Depth in County Mayo
Local Hero: Pirate Grace O'Malley
By all accounts, Grace O’Malley—a.k.a. the “Pirate Queen”—was a woman ahead of her time. Born in 1530 on Clare Island, she grew up to be an adventurer, pirate, gambler, mercenary, traitor, chieftain, noblewoman, and general badass. And while she is remembered now with affection, at the time she was feared and despised in equal measure.
Even as a child, Grace was fiercely independent. When her mother refused to let her sail with her father, she cut off her hair and dressed in boys’ clothing. Her father called her “Grainne Mhaol,” or “Bald Grace,” later shortened to Granuaile (pronounced Graw-nya-wayl), a nickname she’d carry all her life.
At 16, Grace married Donal O’Flaherty, second in line to the O’Flaherty clan chieftain, who ruled all of Connacht. Her career as a pirate began a few years later when the city of Galway, one of the largest trading posts in northern Europe, refused to do business with the O’Flahertys. Grace used her fleet of fast galleys to waylay slower vessels on their way into Galway Harbour. She then offered safe passage for a fee in lieu of pillaging the ships.
She is most fondly remembered for refusing to trade her lands in return for an English title, a common practice of the day.
When the English captured her sons in 1593, she went to London to try to win their release. In an extraordinary turn of events, she actually secured a meeting with Queen Elizabeth herself. History records that the two women got on quite well (although legend has it that Grace initially tried to smuggle a knife in with her, in case things went differently). A deal was struck; Elizabeth agreed to release Grace’s sons and to return some captured lands, if Grace would agree to renounce piracy. This she did and returned to Ireland triumphantly.
The truce did not last, however. Grace got her sons back, but not her property—so she took up piracy again and continued her legendary seafaring career until her death from natural causes in 1600.
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