The Ó Máille family "book", a collection of eulogistic bardic poetry and other material of the sort kept by aristocratic Gaelic households of the period, has not survived. Born to an Irish chieftain in a remote corner of County Mayo, Grace O’Malley forged a career in seafaring and piracy that spanned over 40 years. She witnessed at first hand the downfall of the established Gaelic order and the subsequent crumbling and death of Ireland’s governing elite. Above all else, she emerges as a woman who broke the mould and thereby played a unique role in history. Grace O'Malley (c. 1530 – c. 1603) - in her native Irish language Gráinne Ní Mháille, also known as Gráinne O'Malley,[1] was the head of the Ó Máille dynasty in the west of Ireland, and the daughter of Eoghan Dubhdara Ó Máille. Grace O’Malley lived a life full of adventure and danger upon the high seas. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Unlike most other clans, the O'Malleys made their living by the sea. Risdeárd an Iarainn ("Iron Richard") Bourke, "Dictionary of Irish Biography - Cambridge University Press", "Grace O'Malley, the Fearless 16th-Century Irish Pirate Queen Who Stood Up to the English", "Gráinne Mhaol, Queen Of Pirates, by Miracle Of Sound", "Current Events: The Marki Shalloe Theatre Festival, October 21 – November 5, 2006", Granuaile the latest vessel in the National Seabed Survey, Judy Staley's article about Grace O'Malley on Rootsweb. Her exploits were largely written out of history by contemporary Irish historians for being a woman. The daughter of a powerful Irish chieftain, she inherited both her mother’s lands and her father’s fleet even though she had a brother, Dónal—an extremely unusual accomplishment for a woman in this time. In an eerie parallel to the death of O’Malley’s first husband, de Lacy was murdered while out hunting. Gracie will be deeply mourned by her son John and daughter Ellen (O'Malley-Dunlop), daughter-in-law Elaine, and son-in-law Sandy. They controlled Clew Bay and surrounding areas, where the clan fished, traded, and sold licenses to others who wished to fish in that area. Gráinne Ní Máille is believed to have died in 1603. Ireland Before You Die. In a letter of 1838 he describes her as being "most vividly remembered by tradition and people were living in the last generation who conversed with people who knew her personally". Rockfleet Castle, which Grace O’Malley used as a base Mikeoem, Wikimedia // CC BY-SA 4.0 If asked to name a pirate from history, many people will mention Blackbeard or Captain William Kidd. Her attack on Doona Castle earned her the nickname 'Dark Lady of Doona'.[14]. This earned her the nickname "Gráinne Mhaol" (Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡˠɾˠɑːnʲə wɨːlˠ]; from maol meaning bald or having cropped hair), usually anglicised as Granuaile (/ˌɡrɔːnjəˈweɪl/). Grace O’Malley was none of these things. This galley comes out of Connacht and belongs to Grace O’Malley’. Seeking vengeance, Gráinne attacked the MacMahon castle of Doona in Blacksod Bay and killed her lover's murderers on Cahir Island. She fought battles with men and gave birth… This webinar will take an in-depth look at the astonishing life of this pirate queen and the backdrop of Tudor Ireland, highlighting specific documents in our collection. The thief dug a tunnel and escaped, however, and the hermit who took care of the church broke his vow of silence to scold her for attempting to harm someone who had sought sanctuary. Legend tells of another lord who stole property from her and fled to a church for sanctuary. Grace O’Malley was born around 1530 near Westport in the west of Ireland. [26] She is also mentioned in the English State Papers and in other documents of the kind, an example being a letter sent by the Lord Deputy, Sir Henry Sidney, to his son Phillip in 1577: "There came to mee a most famous femynyne sea captain called Grace Imallye, and offred her service unto me, wheresoever I woulde command her, with three gallyes and two hundred fightinge men ..."[27]. From the age of eleven, she forged a career in seafaring and piracy and was considered a fierce leader at sea and a shrewd politician on land. Still not satisfied with her revenge, Ní Mháille then sailed for Ballycroy and attacked the garrison at Doona Castle, overpowering the defenders and taking the castle for herself. In Irish folklore she is commonly known as Gráinne Mhaol (anglicised as Granuaile) and is a well-known historical figure in 16th-century Irish history. Grace also got involved in political issues and fought against English domination. She died of natural causes in 1603 at Rockfleet Castle and was 72 or 73 at the time of her passing. On 18 April 1595 she petitioned Lord Burghley, complaining of the activities of troops and asking to hold her estate for Elizabeth I. Grace O’Malley was born in 1530 at her family’s Belclare Castle in the Clew Bay area, western Ireland. Grace O'Malley was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the O Maille clan, a rebel, seafarer, and fearless leader who challenged the turbulent politics of 16th century England and Ireland.While Irish legends have immortalized Grace as a courageous woman who overcame boundaries of gender imbalance and bias to fight for the independence of Ireland and protect it against the English crown; to … As Ó Flaithbheartaigh tánaiste, Dónal an Chogaidh had expectations of one day ruling Iar Connacht, the area roughly equivalent to modern Connemara.[11]. Grace O'Malley dominated the shipping lanes and accumulated tons of wealth during her lifetime. Grace O’Malley (1530-1603) The Abbey, Clare Island, Co Mayo Pirate queen and warrior princess, clan chieftain and matriarch, Grace O’Malley had the type of dramatic life that demands a spectacular resting place – and this 12th-century Cistercian abbey, perched on a headland 5km off the Mayo coast, fits the bill to perfection. 1530 - 1603) is one of the most famous pirates of all time. Grace O’Malley (a. … Grace managed to escape the death penalty, but for a price of all her wealth. Gráinne returned to her own lands and established her principal residence on Clare Island (now called Granuaile's Castle). She is known by several spellings of her name, including Grainne Ni Mhaille, Grainne Mhaol, Granuaile, and Grany) She was the daughter of one of the most powerful chieftains on the west coast and became the wife of two others. [8] The nickname may also come from "Gráinne Umhaill" ("Gráinne of Umhall", Umhall being a historical district of west Connacht dominated by the Uí Mháille). He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Margaret O'Malley of Cleveland, Ohio, his Wife Grace O'Malley, his granddaughter Eileen Grace Sandhusen and two brothers/sisters-in-law, Walter O'Malley (Audrey) and Andrew O'Malley (Eleanor). Bingham was removed but several of Ní Mháille's other demands (including the return of the cattle and land that Bingham had stolen from her) remained unmet, and soon Elizabeth sent Bingham back into Ireland. Marriage to Dónal an Chogaidh (Dónal "the warlike") Ó Flaithbheartaigh brought her greater wealth and influence, reportedly owning as much as 1,000 head of cattle and horses. When they were approached, if they resisted they were fought with violence, ending in many occasions the skirmish with the death of some men. She was never conquered, never defeated, and died an old woman living in a giant fucking castle on top of piles of gold coins and 25 year-old studs with rock-hard abs. She controlled part of western Ireland for decades. Although she was the only child of Dubhdara and his wife, Ní Mháille had a paternal half-brother called Dónal na Píopa. Dublin: Gur Cake Editions, 2015. Undeterred, young Grace went away and cut off all her hair. Grace O’Malley was born in Ireland in around 1530, as a daughter of the wealthy nobleman and sea trader Owen O'Malley. [10], Ní Mháille was married in 1546 to Dónal an Chogaidh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, tánaiste or heir to the Ó Flaithbheartaigh (O'Flaherty) title, which would have been a good political match for the daughter of the Ó Máille chieftain. O’Malley’s affair with Hugh de Lacy was sadly short-lived due to O’Malley’s many enemies. O'Malley disappeared with their booty hiding in some cove or Bay in the 1830s and 1840s on behalf the... Sidney in respect of her clan and one of 19 Children of Thomas O'Malley and Georgiana.. Also got involved in political issues and fought against English domination the shock of the wealthy nobleman and sea.. 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