Grace O'Malley

Grace O'Malley

By: Shannon Keel 

         Grace O’Malley was Queen of the O’Malley clan in western Ireland during the sixteenth century, ruling after her father, Eoghan O’Malley. As documented in historian Anne Chambers research, Grace was once known as "the most notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland."  Her name has been anglicized in modern history, though she is commonly referred to in Irish folklore as Gr`ainne O Maille. Grace was born in 1530 to an Irish chieftain of the O’Malley clan, in County Mayo, Ireland. Grace soon became a famous pirate,  forging a career in seafaring that spanned over forty years. After her father’s death, Grace
 inherited the throne of the O’Malley clan, ruling actively the seas and lands of western Ireland, despite her having a brother. She was a beloved and revered Queen, demanding the best for her people through both politics and war.

Grace’s legacy has been shared generation to generation through poems, songs, historical documents, and children’s fables. Grace played a large role in not just Ireland’s history, but England’s too. Grace is documented by both historical authors Anne Chambers and Robin Maxwell, among others, as having had correspondence with Queen Elizabeth I on multiple occasions. 

Grace gained her fame by sailing the seas, keeping up a tradition of seamanship in the O’Malley clan. Because of this tradition, Grace was practically raised on the seas, having been taught the art of seafaring at a young age, as well as being extremely familiar with the body of water surrounding her home on Achill Island, Clew Bay. Grace was an extremely powerful female figure, having achieved both political stability at home, as well as a powerful military presence on the seas. However, Grace didn't stop there. She often ignored social rules of her time, becoming leader of her people in spite of her having a brother with a birthright. According to the historical society Library of Ireland, she even went so far as to have had multiple marriages, an idea almost unheard of in sixteenth century Ireland. Her first marriage was to a local clan leader, Donal O’Flaherty, and her second to Richard Burke, both powerful, wealthy men in their own right. 

Grace chose a hands-on style of ruling, keeping strongholds across Clew Bay while intercepting passing ships. She would then extort those ships with levies in return for safe passage, and plundering those few who chose not to comply.  Grace also sailed on both peaceful trade missions and commanding raids against both English and Irish enemies.

During Grace’s rule, Ireland was a tumultuous blend of allies and enemies in local clans. Because of this, Grace built a legacy for herself by both fighting and collaborating with the English crown. She developed a close relationship built on mutual respect with Queen Elizabeth I, resulting in Grace getting her people out of starvation and poverty, thanks to her impressing Queen Elizabeth. As documented by ancestry.com, Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland described, “this was a notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland.” 

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Though a mutual respect and admiration had grown between the two, Elizabeth’s attention was taken away from Grace and the O’Malley’s when fellow Irishman Hugh O’Neil started a major rebellion against the crown. This distractive rebellion greatly hurt the already suffering O’Malley clan, as county Mayo was used as battlegrounds during the uprising.  Although Grace’s fleet was strong enough to go out to sea once more, Grace had aged and could no longer dominate the seas as she once had. She lived a long and prosperous life, dying a beloved Queen and admired captain at the age of 73. 

Grace embodied the values of sixteenth century Ireland by bringing honor to her family, being courageous in battle, and valuing loyalty to the home above all else. Grace put herself at danger for the sake of her people many times during her reign, giving her the love of the people in return. The story of Grace O'Malley resonates with me because I am the daughter of two immigrants, my father being from Ireland. The land of my ancestry is the same land Grace once ruled, County Mayo, Ireland. In 2007 I was lucky enough to travel to Ireland to see where I'm ancestrally from, as well as see Rockfleet Castle on Achill Island, the place of Grace's birth, reign, and death. I grew up with the story of the Pirate Queen being told to me before bed, allowing me to picture myself as a great female leader. I believe Grace's story is important, (especially in today's society) as it tells of the success of a strong, courageous female warrior: one that we all can admire. 

Works Cited: 

1. Chambers, Anne. “Granuaile.” Gill Books, www.gillbooks.ie/biography/biography/granuaile.
2. Staley, Judy. "Grace O'Malley - Notable Women Ancestors." Ancestry.com, Sept. 2007, www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nwa/grace.html.
3. “Grania Uaile (Grace O'Malley): Marriage and Children.” The Second Marriage and Children of Grania Uaile (Grace O'Malley), Library of Ireland , 2015, www.libraryireland.com/HealyEssays/Grania2.php.