Pirate Queen of Ireland Read Free Page B

responsible for Hugh’s murder. Then she sailed to Doona and took the MacMahon’s castle for herself.
    Her enemies knew that Granuaile was someone not to be crossed.

Chapter 5
    KIDNAPPED
    It was to avenge a slight made to her that Granuaile’s name is remembered in a very special way for over 400 years in a part of Ireland far from Clare Island.
    While returning from a trading voyage in 1575, Granuaile was forced to land at Howth near Dublin. Howth was then part of the English-controlled Pale.
    While her ship was being repaired and fitted out for the voyage back to Clew Bay, Granuaile came ashore.
    With a few of her men she walked up from the harbour towards Howth Castle. This was the residence of the Lord of Howth, Christopher St Lawrence. Granauile decided to pay him a visit.
    She knocked loudly on the castle door. A servant demanded to know what she wanted. Granuaile told him she sought the owner’s hospitality. The servant returned and rudely told her that the Lord of Howth said he was at his dinner and would not be disturbed.
    Granuaile was furious. If St Lawrence had visited her in her castle in Mayo she would have been obliged by the rules of Gaelic hospitality to give him food and shelter. Instead, all she had received at his castle was an insult.

    Granuaile and her men approach Howth Castle.
    Returning to her ship, she met a young boy walking along the beach. She stopped to talk to him and found out he was the grandson and heir of the Lord of Howth.
    She resolved to teach his inhospitable grandfather a lesson he would never forget.
    She invited the boy on board her ship and immediately set sail for Clew Bay.
    When news was brought to the Lord of Howth that his grandson and heir had been ‘kidnapped’ by a notorious pirate from the west of Ireland, he was frantic with worry.
    Taking some gold and silver with him to pay a ransom, he set off on horseback on the long, difficult journey across Ireland.
    Meanwhile Granuaile had returned to Clare Island. She took good care that her young captive would come to no harm.
    Eventually the Lord of Howth arrived in Umhall. He begged Granuaile to name any ransom she wished for the safe return of his heir.
    Scorning his offer of gold and silver, Granuaile’s ransom demand took the nobleman by surprise.
    She made him promise that the door of Howth Castle would never be closed and that every time he sat down at his table to dine, an extra place would be set at his table for anyone seeking his hospitality.
    Surprised and relieved, the Lord of Howth promised to carry out Granuaile’s wishes. Before he left with his grandson the nobleman gave her a ring to seal their bargain. The ring was kept in the O’Malley family for many generations.
    In Howth today, Granuaile’s visit is still remembered. Many roads in the village bear her name.
    In the castle, which is owned by the descendants of the same Lord of Howth, her ransom demands are faithfully carried out by the family to this very day.
    When the owner of Howth Castle sits down to dinner, he always has an extra place set at his table to honour the promise his ancestor made 400 years ago to Granuaile.

Chapter 6
    RICHARD-IN-IRON
    While Granuaile continued to build her reputation and her business, political events were happening elsewhere that would soon affect her life and that of her country.
    In Europe the old Catholic and new Protestant religions were coming into conflict.
    The Catholics looked to King Philip II of Spain for protection while the Protestants turned to Queen Elizabeth I of England.
    As well as religion, another problem had arisen between Spain and England.
    English pirates, like Sir Francis Drake, with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth, regularly attacked King Philip’s treasure ships as they returned to Spain from the Americas full of silver and gold.
    King Philip began to plot revenge on Elizabeth.
    Elizabeth feared the king might use Ireland as a back door to attack England.