Ireland's Lady Pirate

by Master Richard the Poor of Ely

Grace O'Malley was born in Connaught around 1530 to an old and
important family who controlled the area around Clew Bay in northwest
Ireland.  They maintained a small fleet for fishing, trading, and the
ever popular sport of raiding.  Grace took to the sea when quite young,
and became fairly skilled.

In 1546, she married Donal O'Flaherty and moved to his castle of
Bunowen, a bit south of Clew Bay.  They had three children, then Donal
died - probably the victim of a revenge attack.  Grace went back home
and took over the command of the O'Malley fleet.

She remarried in 1566, to Richard Burke, a local chieftain.  They moved
to his castle at Rockfleet in County Mayo, which overlooked an inlet on
Clew Bay.  This would be her home and base for the rest of her life.

The fleet at this time numbered about twenty ships, including a few
galleys.  These were probably more like Viking longships than
Mediterranean galleys, since the latter could not handle the rough seas
around Ireland.  Grace gained some notoriety for her piracy, which
seems to be simply standard Irish raiding done at sea instead of on
land.

By the 1570s her piracy had got to the point where merchants from
Galway forced the English governor Sir Edward Fitton into action.  In
1574, he had William Martin lead a fleet into Clew Bay and lay siege to
Rockfleet Castle.  In just a few days, Grace had amassed enough forces
to break the siege and send Martin packing.

Her luck ran out on a raid on the lands of the Earl of Desmond in
1577.  She was captured and spent a year and a half in Limerick jail.

She returned to her ways when released, but in 1583 her husband died.
According to Irish law, a widow can't inherit her husband's lands.  To
recoup some wealth, she expanded her raiding.  The new governor, Sir
Richard Bingham, put a stop to it by sending a large force to seize the
O'Malley fleet.

In a hopeless situation, Grace wrote to Queen Elizabeth for help.  In
exchange for a pension, she offered her forces for England's use.
While the government was considering her proposal, Bingham arrested her
son on charges of inciting rebellion.

Grace couldn't wait any longer - she went to London to personally
appeal to Elizabeth.  They met in September of 1593.  It must have gone
well, because Bingham was soon ordered to release her son and arrange
some sort of regular income for her.  He didn't stop harassing her and
seizing her ships, though.

Bingham was replaced as governor in 1597 by Sir Conyers Clifford, who
was more benevolent.  The O'Malley fleet was allowed to go to sea
again, but an old Grace let her sons run the show.  She died in 1603.
Her son Tibbot  must have kept her part of the bargain with Queen
Elizabeth, for he was named Viscount Mayo in 1627.

Adapted from Under the Black Flag:  The Romance and the Reality of Life
among the Pirates, by David Cordingly (New York,1995)


from the March 1998 Seahorse