Grace O’Malley was one of History’s most extraordinary female pirates ever to live. Not only was she one of the most feared pirates of her time, but she was also a mother of three, a lover, and a fierce fighter. She had many an adventure on her ship Lady Ellen. It was a risky life, but Grace lived piracy to its fullest. While many pirates' lives are cut short by capture, prison, or hanging, Grace O’Malley’s life was extremely long and was an action-packed roller-coaster, full of twists and turns It’s hardly surprising that she became one of the most well-known pirates in the world.
A girl of the sea from the very beginning
Grace O’Malley was born in Ireland in the year 1530 to Eoghan Dubhdara and Margret O’Malley. Who were both seafarers- people who controlled many areas of the sea and taxed anyone who fished within the boundaries of these areas. ( Grace O’Malley: The Pirate Queen of Ireland, Royal Museums Greenwich Article) Grace learned much about sailing from an early age, so much so that she eventually wanted to join her father’s crew and start sailing. Unfortunately, her father was distressed about her long hair becoming entangled in the rigging and endangering his crew. In a rage due to her father’s hesitance to let her become a sailor, and knowing she was ready to lead the life of the sea, she chopped off all of her lengthy
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Upon being arrested, Grace learned that one of her sons had been murdered and the other was captured as well. Out of hope, she set sail for England where she sought a meeting with Queen Elizabeth 1 (PirateQueens - Leigh Lewis)) For Grace, this meeting went exceptionally well. The Queen granted nearly all of her requests With one condition; that Grace would stop rebelling against the monarchy and live in peace. Some of Grace’s other requests were unfulfilled, such as the return of her land stolen by Richard Bingham at the time of her