By Bob Carney
Two women came face to face at Greenwich Castle in the month of September in 1593. The meeting between the first female sovereign of England and the pirate queen of the Irish seas was important to them both.
Granuaile (Grace) did not bow, compelling Queen Elizabeth I to raise her head to address her. They conversed in Latin and negotiated a deal that was disguised as a plea for help from Elizabeth, but had been designed to negate the authority of Sir Richard Bingham, the newly appointed governor of Connaught.
The events leading up to that meeting, indeed the life of Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s pirate queen, had it been written by Hollywood, would have been an epic film. In reality, Granuaile was almost erased from history.
Legend and fact blend seamlessly when it comes to the life and exploits of Granuaile. She was strong-willed from birth and a formidable force when she set her sights on something. One story tells that when she was very young, she pleaded with her father to allow her to go on a trading trip with him to Spain.
Her father told her it would not be a good idea, her long hair would get caught up in the ship’s ropes. Granuaile simply cut her hair short like her father’s crew. He knew he was beaten and allowed her to make the journey. The crew gave the young girl the name Grainne Mhaol or “Bald Grace.”
Grace O’Malley
Grace was born around 1530 to Eoghan Dabhdara O’Maille and his wife Margaret. Eoghan was a powerful clan chieftan in Clew Bay, Mayo. He was one of the few Irish chiefs who had not submitted to English domination under King Henry VIII.
Margaret was a strong, independent woman and had her own personal wealth in the form of land she had inherited from her mother. That land, in Umhall, Ireland would be passed down to her only child.
The O’Malleys earned livelihood from the sea, sailing up and down the western coast. They traded within Ireland, Scotland and as far away as Spain. They were also known to take the occasional passing ship, plundering it’s cargo as payment for being in their waters.
They had built several castles along the coast, allowing them to dominate the seas around what is now South-West Co. Mayo. They also taxed anyone wishing to fish along the shores that they controlled.
Granuaile spent her early years at the family’s castle in Belclare. When she reached the age of twelve she was sent to live with another family, a common practice among Ango-Saxon nobility. It was thought to be educational and enriching, providing them with opportunities they might not have at home, especially on the rugged west coast of Ireland.
When Granuaile met with Elizabeth I, she spoke fluent Latin, but also spoke English, Scots Gaelic, Spanish, French and her own native Irish. She was an educated woman, able to hold her own with any man on a variety of subjects.
Around 1543, Henry VIII instituted a policy called “surrender and regrant.” Irish chieftans were to give up their lands and recognize Henry as the King of Ireland. In exchange, they retained control of their property and clans, but agreed to abide by English law.
By the time of Henry’s death in 1547, he had managed to take control over much of Ireland. Eoghan felt little need to live under English rule.
The income from the fishing and trading allowed them to maintain their way of life. London was a long way away and there was little the English could do to the O’Malleys.
In 1546, Granuaile was married to Donal an Chogaidh O’ Flaithbheartaigh, the heir of the O’Flarety Clan. The couple had three children together and lived in Donal’s castle on the coast of Bunowen. Just a few years later, Donal was killed in a battle with a neighboring clan, the Joyces.
Granuaile siezed control of her husband’s clansmen and extracted revenge against the men responsible for her husband’s death. She sailed up the coast to recapture the castle he died defending.
When the Joyces were beaten, she returned to Clare Island and her family home. Many of Donal’s men remained loyal to her and her sons and followed her there.
Before long, Granuaile and her men were regularly attacking ships sailing in and out of the port at Galway. She, like her father before her, demanded a toll for any ship passing through her seas. She used small, swift ships and seemed to appear out of nowhere, catching many off guard.
Granuaile married Risdeard an Iarainn Bourke in 1566. “Iron Richard” was a chieftan of his clan and a powerful man in Connacht. Historians believe Granuaile married him for his money and more importantly his property.
Newport
Richard owned his Rockfleet Castle, his family castle near Newport, that had a protected harbor for Granuaile’s growing fleet. Bourke also owned property along the coast that included a number of hidden harbors that she could launch her attacks from.
According to Irish law at the time, they commited to one another for a year, when the year was up, they could make a permanent commitment. Instead Granuaile took possession of Rockfleet Castle and refused to come out.
When her husband arrived, she shouted to him saying, “I dismiss you,” effectively ending the marriage, but retaining the castle. The English however, considered them still married. Granuaile and Richard continued to be allies against the English for the remainder of his life.
During their time together, they had a son. Legend claims that Granuaile gave birth to Theobald on board her ship during a battle with an Algerian ship. When the child was born, Granuaile wrapped herself in a blanket and went on deck to rally her men to victory.
In Granuaile’s world, life was good, but there were outside forces at play that would disrupt that. By 1577, war between Spain and England was inevitable. Queen Elizabeth I, was spending time and money trying to ward off an all out attack by the Spanish, leaving few resources for stabilizing the Irish. She devised a plan for long term stability in Ireland by convincing the younger sons of her nobles to go there and colonize the neighboring isle.
This marked the start of Granuaile’s troubles. The English were no longer a far off force, but were right where she operated.
After attacking a ship owned by the English Earl of Desmond in Munster, she was pursued and captured. Granuaile was tried and sent to jail in limerick, but was released two years later.
When Granuaile was released, the news was disappointing for the city of Galway. They had prospered under English security and were concerned on the effects if Granuaile returned to her life of piracy. They hired mercenaries to attack Granuaile at Rockfleet and prevent her from leaving the castle. She beat back her would be jailers and escaped.
In July of 1579, Spain made her move against England. Granuaile, Richard and Ireland were thrust into the middle of it. Granuaile was fifty years old.
