Grace O' Malley

There's a book written by Anne Chambers about Grace O'Malley, entitled Granuaile: Ireland's Pirate Queen, c. 1530-1603. It contains quite a few illustrations, including a galley from 1590 and an impression of what Grace's galley would have looked like (c. p. 50, if you're using the 2003 edition).

I believe she would have used boat similar to Galway Hooker - well ballasted to withstand Atlantic gales, gaff sail which could be quickly lowered when wind rose

I did my PhD thesis on Gráinne and her extended family - the Ui Máille of Umhall, The Uí Flaithbhertaigh of Ballinahinch and the á Búrc of Burrishoole.

What I discovered is that the story of 'Grace O Malley' is just that - a story. It may be based on an actual person - named Gráinne Ní Mhaille - but the Grace story is about as historically accurate as the film of Michael Collins.

I certainly would not recommend Anne Chambers book but the TG4 docu mentioned is well worth watching.

We have no idea what kind of ships Gráinne Ní Mháille (she was never referred to as 'Grace' during her lifetime) had as no records have survived which describe them in detail. Drawing from the time suggest galley type vessels based on Scandinavian longships - shallow bottomed, sail and oar driven. Fast and highly manoeuvrable.

The Uí Maille's of Umhall had always been seafaring so she would have learned her skills at a young age from her father Eoghan Dubhdara Ua Máille . Although the Uí Flaithbhertaigh's were also seafaring, there is no evidence to suggest she acquired her ships from them. Indeed, in the 1580s/90s her son - Murrough na Moar Ua Flaithbhertaigh was a captain of one of his mother's ships - an Uí Máille vessel.

There is no account which states exactly how many ships she had. We do know that in 1576 she was in Galway with 2 galleys and 300 fighting men under her personal command.

For anyone who is interested in reading the facts rather then the myths I suggest having a read of Gráinne Mhaol, pirate queen of Connacht: behind the legend http://www.historyireland.com//volumes/volume13/issue2/features/?id=113811.

It should be noted that the article incorrectly states she lived/was buried on Clare Island. This is not so as the Uí Máille of Clare were a different branch of the family - she was from Murrisk. She is either buried in Murrisk Abbey or Burrishoole Abbey - more likely the latter as her son Tibbóid na Long Búrc and his wife Meabh Ní Chonchobhair Sligigh continued to patronise the Abbey into the 17th century.

As far the whole 'Bald Gráinne' thing - this seems to be a mistranslation of Gráinne of Umhaill - Gráinumhall. She was the second member of her family to have that name - she had a grand-aunt also named Gráinne of Umhall.

Yes, she engaged in piracy - so did Drake, Raleigh etc, the only differenece being the last two had a licence from Elzabeth I to do so. Piracy was a feature of life at the time. However, it appears that her piracy mainly took place in Clew Bay - which the Uí Máille considered part of their territory so one could say that she was extracting tolls with menaces. Pay the toll or they take the whole cargo.

The crap written about her drives me spare. :mad:

Of course interesting thing about the ruling families of the Umhail is that they claimed to be part of wider Uí Briúin eg. that they make up the "Uí Briúin Umhail", however there is folklore that puts them as descended form "Orbsen". This been "Orbsiu Mac Alloid" another name/aspect for the god Manannán mac Lir.

Given there connections to sea-faring this would be a fitting ancestry myth.

Loch Corrib in Galway is actually a corruption of Loch nOrbsen.

OK good luck with it

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

I agree that her boats would have been galleys; sleek, manoeuvrable & fast, and manned by a large number of rowers; ideally used for ‘hit & run’ tactics. Similar boats were used by the Barbary States, Algerines and Sundra Straits pirates for hundreds of years. Galleys are nothing like Galway Bay hookers (per post by somebody above.) But it makes me wonder about claims/lore that she raided as far south as West Cork; a galley is not suitable for that distance, particularly in Irish weather conditions.

In early 1577 she was captured raiding the Earl of Desmond's lands- the records don't say exactly where, but it does put her on the South-West coast. Desmond handed her over to Lord Justice Drury as a demonstration of his loyalty.

In 1578, a Captain Martin was dispatched from Galway to arrest her for attacks on Galway ships - but this could have referred her extracting tolls with menaces. Captain Martin attacked Carrigahowley and had his ass handed to him. He declared he was lucky to escape with his life. Mind, she had just been released having spent over a year in Dublin Castle so I'd say she wasn't in the best of moods at the time.

In the 1590s, she herself admitted she was forced to spend 3 months re-fitting her fleet in Tyrconnell after a severe storm - so that puts her as far north as Donegal.

She also sailed to London in 1593 and 1595.

Grainne’s piracy is not as subtle as that. Drake and Raleigh were not pirates, they were ‘privateers’– they commanded private vessels operating under a ‘letter of marquee & reprisal’* i.e. a licence from the monarch to wage a private war against specific targets only. That licence (internationally recognized & legal) stipulated the nationalities of the vessels that could be attacked and often the area of operation. What they could do was clearly defined. Letters of Marque were commonly used by French, British and American governments during the Napoleonic Wars. What Grainne did was plain ‘opportunistic’ piracy and against the law. I agree in that era there was nothing particularly unusual or uncommon about that, apart from her sex.

There is only one recorded instance of attempted 'piracy' by a vessel belonging to her. In 1601, a galley identified as hers but captained by her son halted an English galleon in Clew Bay and demanded a toll be paid or they would seize the ship.

Given that Gaelic Ireland had no central authority there was no mechanism for her to be issued with letters of marque by an Irish authority. There is evidence (ye'll have to wait for the book) to suggest that she was issued some by Elizabeth in 1593 - having pledged to use her forces against her majesties enemies on land and sea and to place her fleet at the service of the Queen. Her ships were used to supply Conyers Clifford at Sligo during the Nine Years War.


As for Drake etc - to the Spanish, whose ships they were seizing, they were pirates. Hawkins was attacking Spanish ships as far back as the 1560s - when there was no official declaration of war between England and Spain.

I know wiki is disliked as a source but their piece on letters of marque is quite good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

A letter of Marque was nothing but legalised piracy where the State took a cut of the profits.

Looking forward to the book, but you need a more international title;)

Titlewise - more concerned with historical accuracy then international sales figures. I am writing about people who fought and died to remain culturally Gaelic - so the least I can do is respect that and use their battle cry as they did. I refuse to Anglicise it. For the same reasons I use the Irish versions of their names unless they have Anglicised (i.e Hugh O Neill is referred to as Hugh O Neill but I use Áodh Ruadh Ua Domhnaill instead of Red Hugh O Donnell). Won't be changing that to suit an international audience either .