Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Grace O'Malley

*Includes historic illustrations depicting Grace O'Malley and important people and places.

*Discusses common legends and folk tales about Grace O'Malley.

*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.

*Includes a Table of Contents.


“When analyzed within the historical context of the traumatic epoch in which she lived, she emerges as a fearless leader, by land and by sea, a political pragmatist and tactician, a ruthless plunderer, a mercenary, a rebel, a shrewd and able negotiator, the protective matriarch of her family and tribe, a genuine inheritor of the Mother Goddess and Warrior Queen attributes of her remote ancestors. Above all else, she emerges as a woman who broke the mould and thereby played a unique role in history. It is thirty years since my biography first helped write Granuaile back into history—she had more than created her own legend.” - Anne Chambers, Granuaile: Grace O'Malley - Ireland's Pirate Queen


In the 400 years since her death, Grace O’Malley has represented many things to many people, including queen, legend, pirate, and folk hero. Her nickname, Granuaile, was given to her by the Irish peasants whose cause she supported, and that name had its origins in the fact that she chopped off her hair when she took to the sea as a young girl. Though she spent plenty of time on land with a family and estates, her life and legacy have been defined by the time she spent sailing.


Like many figures of the Elizabethan Era, it’s often hard to separate fact from fiction when discussing the life and career of Granuaile, whose native Ireland was undergoing a dramatic transformation as England’s Tudor rulers began trying to seize control of it. Granuaile became a powerful ruler in her own right, which led to conflict with England, during which she proved a more than able opponent. She is best remembered for her piracy against the English, but that eventually led to negotiations between the famous folk hero and Queen Elizabeth I, and by the end of the Nine Years War, she was leading raids against England’s enemies. 


Given her background, heritage, and life, Granuaile was a natural candidate to become an Irish folk hero, a powerful symbol of courage, defiance, and independence. Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Grace O’Malley looks at the life and legends of the famous female pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction while analyzing her lasting legacy. Along with pictures depicting Granuaile and important people, places, and events in her life, you will learn about the famous pirate like you never have before, in no time at all.