Grainnuile / Grainne (Ní Mháille) Ó Máille was the Pirate Queen of Connacht and head of the Ó Máille Clan in Ireland in the 1500’s.
As a child, Grainnuile was said to have cut off all her hair to diguise herself a boy so that she could sneak onto one of her father’s ships. Her father had refused to take her because it was considered bad luck to have women on board. The name, Grainnuile or Gráinne Mhaol means bald Gráinne because of this incident. Her determination led to her often sailing with her father on trading missions where she learnt how to become a sailor.
Grainnuile married at 16 to Donal O’Flaherty, the son of the chieftain of the O’Flaherty clan and next in line for the post as chieftain. Their marriage was a good political match and The O’Flahertys were seafaring, just like her family. Grainnuile continued to learn about sailing and trading at sea and was put in charge of the O’Flaherty fleet of ships and ruled the waters surrounding their lands. Grainnuile was a shrewd and brave leader and although it was unusual for a women to lead men, she commanded their respect. After 19 years of marriage her husband died in battle against a rival clan. She later avenged his death.
As a widow under Irish law, Grainnuile was entitled to a portion of her husbands estates but the O’Flahertys refused this leading her to take off on her own with a loyal group of followers to support herself. Her success rendered the Salic code – debarring woman leaders – redundant. She was a leader of an army of 200 men and captain of a fleet of galleys. She is said to have transported mercenaries between their Scottish homes and Irish employers while plundering Scotland’s outlying islands on her return trips.
Grainnuile later returned to the Ó Máille clan, where she was the heir to the Chieftain. Upon her fathers death she inherited his shipping empire. She married again to Richard Burke, a move that is claimed to have been to strengthen her hold on the west coast area of Ireland. They married under Early Irish law ‘for one year certain’ and after the year, Grainnuile left him and kept his castle. She became the matriarch of her followers, extended family and of neighbouring clansmen, whose chieftains had either died or abandoned their obligations.
Grainnuile had fought against the English who were slowly taking up larger and larger portions of Ireland, reducing her power. In 1952 her sons and half brother were taken captive by the English governor of Connacht, Sir Richard Bingham. Grainnuile sailed to England to petition Elizabeth I for their release. They met at Greenwich Palace and she refused to bow, stating that she did not recognise her as her Queen. The women came to an agreement that Elizabeth was to release the men and to remove Sir Bingham from his position in Ireland and Grainnuaile was to stop supporting the Irish lords’ rebellions amongst other demands. On Grainnuile’s return some of her demands were unmet and she continued to support Irish insurgents during the Nine Years’ War. She was named “nurse to all rebellions for forty years” and “a director of thieves and murderers at sea.”