Pirate Queen of Ireland Read Free Page A

today.
    This was not the only time Granuaile was forced to defend Hen’s Castle. The Galway merchants sent an army to besiege her there. They thought they had cornered the infamous pirate leader at last.
    With food supplies running low, Granuaile had to think of some way of getting the soldiers away from the castle walls. She ordered her men to strip the lead roof, melt it down and pour the hot liquid over the ramparts, on to the soldiers beneath. The soldiers quickly retreated.
    But despite her bravery and success as a leader, Granuaile could not become chieftain in her husband’s place. Brehon Law did not permit women to be chieftains. Her husband’s cousin was elected chieftain instead.
    Her sons, now young men, would have to wait their turn to put themselves forward for election as chieftain.
    With nothing to hold her in Ballinahinch, Grace returned home to Umhall in 1562. Some of the O’Flaherty clansmen chose to follow her.

Chapter 4
    THE PIRATE QUEEN
    As a widow, Granuaile had another reason for returning to Umhall.
    If Brehon Law did not allow a woman to be elected chieftain, unlike English law, it did permit women to own land and property. And Granuaile had inherited land in Umhall from her mother.
    On her return, since her father was growing old, she also took over control of the O’Malley fleet.
    She established her base on Clare Island. The island was perfectly situated at the mouth of Clew Bay. The castle gave her a clear view of the bay, and its concealed position meant it could not be seen by passing ships, which gave Granuaile the advantage of a surprise attack.
    From Donegal to Waterford, news of this woman seafarer and pirate grew. The MacSweeneys of Lough Swilly, the islanders of Inishbofin and the Aran Islands, the inhabitants of Renvyle Castle in Connemara, the O’Loughlin chief of the Burren of Clare, all felt the brunt of her raids.
    In Dublin and London, stories about her reached the English government who named her ‘the most notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland’.
    What kind of a woman, people whispered, would lead such a dangerous and unfeminine life? Women were supposed to stay at home and look after their husband and family, not go careering on the seas trading and plundering. This woman has ‘overstepped the part of womanhood’, one English official complained about her.
    But Granuaile was no ordinary woman. Above all else she was an O’Malley. Seafaring, including plunder, was in her blood.
    Her bravery and success made men from other clans in Connaught want to join her. Soon she had a private army of over 200 men.
    Granuaile must have been a very special person for these hardy clansmen from different clans to accept her as their leader. And she was. She had charisma and courage.
    Granuaile led her men herself in battle, by land and sea. She endured the same dangers and hardships. Her daring is remembered in the lines of a poem:
    No braver seaman took a deck in hurricane or squall
    Since Grace O’Malley battered down old Curraith Castle’s walls.
    Most of all, Granuaile was an expert seafarer. Her men trusted her and this created a special bond between them.
    She was proud of the loyalty of her men and once said that she would ‘rather have a ship full of MacNallys and Conroys than a ship full of gold’.
    She could also be ruthless and especially so when avenging a wrong done to her.
    During her time on Clare Island, in the teeth of a gale, she bravely rescued a young man called Hugh de Lacy, whose ship had foundered on rocks on Achill Island.
    She and Hugh fell deeply in love but their happiness was shortlived. Hugh was soon murdered by a neighbouring clan, the MacMahons, from Doona Castle in Erris.
    After mourning Hugh, Granuaile bided her time to avenge his death.
    When the MacMahons came on a pilgrimage to the holy island of Caher, near Clare Island, she swooped like an eagle.
    She captured their boats and killed those