Grace O’Malley
Unlike Mary, Queen of Scots, who lost her head in her battle against Queen Elizabeth I, pirate queen Grace O’Malley defied the monarch for almost four decades — and kept her head on her shoulders.
Born around 1530 to the chieftain of an Irish clan on the west coast, O’Malley quickly rose to power. Once her father died, she became the queen of her clan and expertly navigated the political world and formed alliances.
She married twice and with each marriage, O’Malley gained more power in the form of ships and castles. At the height of her reign, O’Malley had countless ships and hundreds of men at her beck and call.
Irish history and folklore tell tales of her bravery, seafaring skills, and toughness. According to one story, a Turkish corsair attacked her ship the day after she gave birth to her son so she jumped out of bed and fought alongside her men, killing their officers and eventually took over their ship.
O’Malley and Queen Elizabeth butted heads in 1558 when Elizabeth sought to increase English control over Ireland. After years of opposition to English rule, Elizabeth sent a massive fleet to squash the O’Malley clan but the English were forced to retreat with their tails between their legs just weeks later.
Suzanne Mischyshyn/Creative Commons/geographA statue of Grace O’Malley in County Mayo, Ireland.
In 1584, O’Malley seemed to meet her match in Sir Richard Bingham. His brother had killed O’Malley’s eldest son and captured her other, but instead of killing her, O’Malley convinced him to give her an audience with Elizabeth.
Displaying remarkable diplomacy, O’Malley successfully negotiated the release of her son and the return of her lands in exchange for helping fight England’s enemies abroad.
She would die the same year as her new ally, Elizabeth, in 1603.
