History’s Famous Women Pirates: Grace O’Malley, Anne Bonny and Mary Read

by Charles River Editors

  In 1566, Granuaile married Risdeard an Iarainn Bourke, known as “Iron Richard” due to his reputation for wearing an ancient coat of mail that he had inherited from his ancestors. He was a chieftain of his clan and one of the most powerful men in Connacht at the time, and from all appearances it seems Granuaile married Bourke for his money and/or his castle. Rockfleet Castle, the traditional home of the Bourke family, was located near Newport, a well-situated port that would provide an excellent harbor for her ships. Bourke also owned property along the coast that included a number of hidden harbors from which pirates could attack their prey.

  Rockfleet Castle

  Granuaile took an interesting path in marrying Risdeard. Instead of vowing to remain wed “until death do us part,” she married according to Brehon law, an Irish tradition that allowed them to commit to each other for only a year. After that year, they were supposed to make a more permanent commitment to each other, but Granuaile had other plans; she and her crew took possession of the castle at Rockfleet and refused to come out. Instead, she simply stood at a high window and yelled out to her husband below, “Richard Burke, I dismiss you.” This was sufficient to divorce him, and since she had possession of the castle at that time, she was able to retain it as her personal property. From that day forward, Rockfleet Castle remained in the possession of the O’Malleys.

  Though they were no longer married according to Irish law, the English continued to consider them husband and wife. It also appears that they continued to operate as allies throughout the rest of Risdeard’s life. Later, after his death, Granuaile referred to herself as his widow. Another reason why the English continued to recognize Granuaile and Risdeard’s marriage is that they had a child, Theobald, together. According to legend, he was actually born on Granuaile’s ship during a battle against the Algerians. Chambers writes:

  “As the battle raged, her captain came below where she lay with her new-born son and begged her to come up on deck so that her presence might rally her men. With the words ‘may you be seven times worse off this day twelve months, who cannot do without me for one day’, she wrapped a blanket around herself and joined her men. Uttering a ferocious oath she roared them into action, while at the same time emptied a musket at the Algerians, crying, ‘Take this from un-consecrated hands.’ The fact that attacks by North African pirates on outlying areas along the south and west coasts of Ireland were recorded frequently during this period lends credence to this traditional account of Tibbott-ne-Long’s birth.”

  Chapter 3: A Tale of Vengeance

  Another instance of Granuaile’s defiance in the face of anyone who would dare cross her is the matter of Doona Castle. As the story goes, Granuaile decided to make a pilgrimage for St. Brigid’s Day to a certain holy well located on Clare Island, but she soon lost interest in making her peace with God when word reached her that a foreign ship had landed on the rocks near Achill Head. She ordered her crew to turn the ship around and return immediately to the other boat. According to legend, a huge storm blew up just as she was leaving, perhaps giving the lady pirate cause to wonder if she had made the right decision, but her lust for treasure kept her going, and she soon arrived at the ship. When she did, she was disappointed to find that much of it had already washed away, but she was able to rescue a 15 year old boy who had managed to survive the accident by clinging to a large outcropping of rock. She ordered that he be taken below and given something to eat while she oversaw the loading of the remaining salvage.

  When she finally got around to interviewing him, she discovered that his name was Hugh de Lacy and that he was from a wealthy family in Wexford. She also discovered that he was very attractive and, though he was no older than her own oldest son, she soon took him as a lover. This was just one of several such incidents that led to Granuaile’s reputation for promiscuity.

  For a short while, all appeared to be well. Hugh de Lacy sailed with her around the islands near her home and enjoyed his life as a “kept man” of an older woman. However, he made the mistake one day of going deer hunting near Doona Castle, the home of the infamous MacMahon clan, and when they discovered him on their property they shot him dead for poaching. It is unclear how exactly Granuaile heard of what happened, whether it was via a messenger or even perhaps having the boy’s dead body brought to her, but she flew into a rage when she found out and immediately plotted to avenge his death.

  The remains of Doona Castle

  Though she was furious and bloodthirsty, Granuaile was also shrewd. She patiently bided her time until the MacMahons began their usual family pilgrimage to Caher, a holy island near Clare Island. Standing at the top window of her castle there, Granuaile watched quietly as the families left their boats and walked toward the ancient church to worship. As soon as they were out of sight, she and her men attacked, first taking possession of the boats so that no one could escape. Next, she attacked the men themselves, killing everyone who might have had anything to do with the boy’s death. While that might have satisfied some people, it was not enough for Granuaile, who next sailed for Doona and attacked the local garrison stationed at the castle. She quickly defeated them and took the castle for her own.

  Not surprisingly, this was not the only incident when Granuaile went out for revenge. On another occasion, one of her fellow chieftains tried to steal some of her property. When she came after him, he went into hiding in a nearby church, begging the holy hermit who lived there to give him sanctuary. Long-held church tradition mandated that no one take action against anyone living in a house of worship, but this tradition was not enough to stop Granuaile. She surrounded the church with her men and ordered that no food or any other sort of supply be allowed in. Trapped, the chieftain persuaded the hermit to help him dig a tunnel through the church floor to the edge of the nearby cliff. From there he lowered himself by rope into a boat he had hired and escaped. Fearing reprisals, the hermit informed Granuaile of what had happened, but he also gave her a good scolding for bringing violence into a holy place.

  Like many older women, Granuaile was committed to teaching those around them good manners. However, her means were a bit unorthodox, as can be seen in the case of Howth Castle. Howth is located at one of the principal ports of Dublin, and during one of her voyages Granuaile anchored there to take on water and supplies. Custom dictated that the Lord of the Castle should also provide her with food and lodging while she was there, but when she arrived at the castle gates, she found them locked and was told that Lawrence, the Earl of Howth, was at dinner and unavailable to receive her.

  Howth Castle today

  Seeing this as yet another example of the breakdown of traditional values, Granuaile returned to her ship to consider how best to teach the Earl some manners. At about this time, she ran into his grandson and saw a chance to make her point. She kidnapped the boy and left for home. Lawrence gave chase and offered her any sum of money for the return of his only heir, but rather than accept his money, Granuaile offered to return the boy on one condition: the castle at Howth must always welcome anyone looking for a meal or night’s lodging. They must even set an extra place at every meal, just in case some unexpected guest should show up. The Earl happily agreed to these demands and joyfully returned home with the boy, after which he implemented the promised policy. It remains the rule at Howth Castle to this day.

  While Granuaile was able to keep pretty good control over her immediate sphere of influence, there were forces at play in the world around her that she, and many others, would find more difficult to manage. By 1577 war was brewing between England and Spain. The two had only barely been at peace since Queen Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne after her sister Bloody Mary’s death in 1558, because the Spanish King Philip II was determined to return England to the Catholic faith.

  Elizabeth I

  On a more local scale, war broke out between two of Ireland’s more prominent clans during the late 1560s, destabilizing the local political system. With most of her time and money committed to fending off th
e Spanish, Elizabeth had little capital to invest in stabilizing the region. Instead, she decided to influence the local culture by recommending that the younger sons of her nobility migrate to the area, beginning a long-term project of English colonization of the neighboring country.

  By this time, Granuaile had become something of a legend in the English Isles. In 1577, Scottish poet Sir Henry Sidney accompanied his father to visit the notorious woman. After meeting her, he reported the following back to the English court:

  “There came to me also a most famous feminine sea captain called Grany Imallye, and offered her service unto me, wheresoever I would command her, with three galleys and two hundred fighting men, either in Ireland or Scotland. She brought with her her husband, for she was as well by sea as by land well more than Mrs. Mate with him. He was of the Nether Burkes and now, as I hear, Mackwilliam Euter, and called by nickname Richard in Iron. This was a notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland.”

  This account provides yet another example of Granuaile’s ability to appear to cooperate without actually intending to. While she gave lip service to obeying English law and putting aside her pirating pursuits, she had no intention of doing so. Within weeks she was back at work again, this time attacking the property of the English Earl of Desmond in Munster. Unfortunately for Granuaile, she finally overreached on this occasion and was captured by the Earl’s men, who in turn brought her to stand trial before him at Askeaton Castle. He declared her guilty of her crimes and confined her in the jail at Limerick, keeping her there for about two years and only periodically hauling her out to display to various English lords as a sign of his loyalty and support of Elizabeth’s laws and policies.

  Though Granuaile was released in 1579, her troubles were by no means at an end. The city of Galway was immediately concerned about the effect her return to the pirating life would have on their business, and they were so unimpressed by English security that they hired a band of mercenaries to attack her in Rockfleet Castle and prevent her from leaving. Though she beat them back and escaped, there was more trouble soon to come.

  Chapter 4: The Good Wife

  In July of 1579, Spain finally made her move against England. Rallying as many Catholic countries as possible around them, the Spanish sailed toward Ireland with the express purpose of rallying the Irish clans into a war against their English oppressors. While Granuaile remained dubious about participating, her husband Richard went all in and became one of the leaders of the fight. He allied with Granuaile’s former jailor, the Earl of Desmond, to attack numerous villages up and down the coast that remained loyal to the Queen. However, he was soon defeated by Sir Nicholas Malby, one of the queen’s supporters, and forced to surrender.

  At this point, it appears that Granuaile may have intervened on her husband’s behalf and helped him to negotiate an agreement that saved both his skin and his property:

  “The Humble Petition of Richard Bourke to His Worship, Sir Nicholas Malby, Knight, governor in Thomond, 22 April 1580

  He most humbly beseeches the same in respect he has fallen from his duty to wards God and her Majesty. And he and all his according therein to defect been attempted and plagued by your worship and her Majesty’s force under your charge. And driven to fly into remote places with their goods and cattle whereby these his lands lie and are become waste. This it will please your worship to your great goodness as you have received him into grace without distress so likewise it will please you to grant commission to deponent not only to call back his followers with their goods to inhabit the country whereby her Majesty may be assured of her rents and duties and the deponent and followers there without any assurances of their pay; but also that the said deponent may have commission to restore your petitioners to such demands and challenge as he has against any person or persons in that, the county of Mayo. And that, moreover, your petitioner may have your worship’s commission to take up such duties and demands from time to time as is due upon his followers of the baronies of Carra Owles and Erries as all by sea as land. The same to continue during such time as he shall remain dutiful towards her Majesty. And that no deponent may have to deal with him or his saving; only such a one as your worship shall make choice of. And according his most bounden he shall pray.”

  The nature and wording of the petition allowed Richard to not only retain his personal property but also his command over his followers. By this time, the English army and navy was stretched to its limits, so they were more than willing to take a chance that he would make good on his promise to use his leadership and troops to support Elizabeth.

  Not long after this incident, both Richard and Granuaile teamed up to take on a new problem: establishing Richard’s right to become the MacWilliam (head) of his clan. He had been in line for the position for years, but when the previous MacWilliam died, he was supplanted by the man’s brother. This was unacceptable to both Richard and his wife, who had married him at least in part for his future troops. Together they put together an army of more than 2,000 men and 200 horses, only to have word win out over swords. Wanting to keep her newly vowed ally in power, Elizabeth issued the following patent declaring Richard the sole head of his clan.

  “Know you that of our special grace, certain knowledge and free will, together with the advice and consent of our beloved and faithful counselor Arther Grey of Wylton, knight of our order of the Garter and our deputy general in our Kingdom of Ireland, and with the advice and consent of our Council in that kingdom we grant, give, authorize and confer upon our believe subject, Richard Bourke, alias Richard Inyeran Bourke, alias Mac William Eoghter Bourke, that he be chief of his clan and seneschal of the feudal tenants and followers of our people and nation and of his own clans and their lands and tenements in our province of Connaght and of the border castles with their manors, lands, tents and hereditaments with their revenues and privileges with which he now lawfully possesses in the said province. And that, for the protection of the said castles, lands ,tents and hereditaments and of the rest entrusted to him as well as for the protection of our subjects therein dwelling against enemies or rebels, invaders or plunderers, or violators or disturbers of our peace he may call of arms our subjects therein dwelling and lead them in pursuit as often as and whenever it shall be necessary for our service and the defense of these same our subjects and his own people and that he protect and advance our peace and good government and a similar life among our good subjects within the boundaries of his jurisdiction and that he be minister of our justice and laws within the same boundaries for as long as he occupies the office of our seneschal. Finally, that he may ax, exact and levy within the limits of the said office (except for free church lands and waste lands) his reasonable expenses whenever he shall be ordered to appear at Dublin, Athlone or Galway. By the chief of our ministers in the government of our said kingdom or by our lord president or agreement, article and clause specified and contained in the indenture annexed to this our letter, patent and which are to be observed and fulfilled by the same Richard.”

  This agreement is highly significant for a number of reasons. First, the Crown actually rewarded someone who was only recently in rebellion against it. Second, it recognized the title “MacWilliam,” one of many Gaelic titles that England at that time was trying to eliminate. Finally, Elizabeth herself formed an agreement with two avowed pirates who had only recently terrorized her people. While these factors make this agreement something of a triumph of Granuaile and Richard’s own power and prestige, it is also a testament to just how desperate Elizabeth was to keep her kingdom under control. She was even willing to make a compact with pirates to see her ends achieved.

  For Granuaile, piracy was a family affair. As soon as her son Tibbott was old enough to hold a gun, she insisted that he join forces with her and his father to attack nearby castles. However, Tibbott appears to have not had his parents’ taste for battle. During one of his first fights, against nearby Kinturk Castle, he became afraid that the battle might be going against them and sought
shelter behind his mother. This led her to scream at him in front of all the men, “Are you trying to hide behind my backside, the place you came from?” Her words served their purpose, and Tibbott came out from behind her and continued to fight. A few years later, Kintuck Castle became his permanent home.

  As time went by, it became more and more difficult for Richard and Granuaile to tolerate the rule of Englishmen that they believed had less social and political standing than themselves. Though they are largely remembered as pirates (outside of Ireland), it’s important to remember that both of them were descended from Irish royalty. Granuaile’s father was the equivalent of an English Earl, while Richard, as a MacWilliam, had a rank at least as high as that of a English lord. For them, the administrators sent to govern Ireland were more suited to serve in their own retinues than to rule over them. Unfortunately for Richard, his problems would not last much longer, because he would die in 1583 of natural causes. In describing Richard, Chambers observes:

  “Despite their personal and at times political difference, Richard-an-Iarainn was a worthy and suitable consort for Granuaile. While often forced to play a supporting role to her more prudent and politic ways, they seem to have been a well-matched couple who together, as well as individually, made an impact on political events. Richard-an-Iarainn was content and even encouraged his wife’s unusual role, and his standing in the male-dominated society of Gaelic Ireland does not appear to have been diminished by his wife’s unorthodox ways. In an age that was more male-oriented than most, Richard-an-Iarainn emerges as a man sufficiently liberated from the shackles of misplaced male pride to have acknowledged, encouraged and capitalized on his wife’s ability and success.”