The following is a short history of Grace O'Malley, my faire persona, Killian O'Malley, is a descendant of hers so I thought I would share.

Grace O'Malley was born in 1530. One of my sources tells me that she was born at sea. Another source says she was born at Clare Island Castle in Ireland. She had a half brother names Donal-na-Popia.

Grace's parents were seafarers. They combined legitimate activities with piracy. her father's name was Owen O'Malley. As a child, Grace was taught to read Latin by the friars beneath the O'Malley motto "Terra Mariq Potens" (Invisible on Land and Sea). As a little girl, her family was having trouble with eagles snatching up their sheep, so one day Grace thought she would slaughter the eagles. The eagles scratched her head with their talons and left marks that never disappeared. Once Grace know how to tie a knot, she begged to sail with the fleet.

She proved herself a pirate when she saved her father's life from English pirates. When she turned sixteen in 1546, she married Donal O'Flaherty. during their marriage they had three children, named Owen, Murrough, and Margaret.

Grace was soon in charge of the O'Flaherty fleet, extracting a fee for use of the waters. If the Captain refused to pay, she signaled her men and they removed the cargo. Donal died at the hands of a rival clan. When Donal died, she was supposed to get one third of her husband's estate. She was not given her share of it, however.

Grace now picked two hundred followers who loved cards and dice as much as she did. Many of these worked for her now-deceased husband. She established a home base at Clare Island in Ireland, which was an ideal place to set up a pirate empire in the late sixteenth century. She pursued her career practicing free-lance piracy and waging a private war against England. She now had control of five castles. She wanted the last one, which was owned by a Richard Burke. It was on the northeast side of Clew Bay. She wanted it so much that she married Richard Burke. They had one son named Tibbot. Queen Elizabeth knighted Tibbot Sir Theobald. Grace was captured by the Duke of Desmond and was thrown in prison in Limerick. Lord Justice sent for her unexpectedly. Lord Justice said that she would have to stop her pirating. While in prison Richard Burke died a natural death.

Sir Richard Bingham was appointed governor by Queen Elizabeth the First. He killed Grace's son Own. Then he sent for her, but it was a trap. She was tied up like an animal. A powerful Lord asked that she be set free, so Sir Richard let her go. She then went to the queen, who let her be a pirate again. They were working together. When she returned to Ireland, she had only one castle left. She fitted up a fleet, then proceeded to win the war against Sir Richard Bengham.

When she was sixty years old, Grace won her greatest battle. She lived to be over seventy years old. She was the most flamboyant of Irish pirates. Grace O'Malley made an impression on her own age; she earned a place in Irish history.

Statue of Grace O'Malley