Image by Peter Griffiths

Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille) was born in Mayo circa 1530, daughter of a chieftain. She became Ireland’s most renowned sea-raider, and her battles with Sir Richard Bingham, the Governor of Connacht, are the stuff of legend. In 1593, when English colonisation was at its peak, Grace famously negotiated with Elizabeth I at Greenwich Palace. The life of Ireland’s ‘pirate queen’ has long been celebrated in folklore, literature and song. Most recently the poet Naomi Foyle has composed an ‘epic ballad’, Grace of the Gamblers: a Chantilly Chantey. Continue reading →