Ireland's pirate queen: the true story of Grace O'Malley

by Anne Chambers

Paper Book, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

920

Genres

Collection

Gifts

Publication

New York, NY : MJF Books, 2003.

Description

This is the true story of Grace O'Malley, or Granuaile, who ruled on land and sea in Connaught over 400 years ago. A Pirate Queen and Chieftain, she became a legend. We meet Grace as a young girl on Ireland's west coast. Her father is a strong chieftain and loves the sea. Despite her parents' objections, Grace becomes a better sailor than any of her father's crew and so the adventures of the Pirate Queen begin. We set sail on her galley to Spain where war with England affects Grace and Ireland. We meet her husbands, Donal of the Battles and Richard in Iron, and are on board ship for her son's birth and pirate attacks. After many escapades we sail to London for her famous meeting with Queen Elizabeth I. And we stay with her in her castle at Rock Fleet where she dies in 1603. This non-fiction account is a must for children who love Irish history!… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Crowyhead

Grace O'Malley, AKA Granuaile, is one of those truly amazing historical figures who is both a product of her time and yet so impossibly modern in other ways. In a time when women didn't inherit and widows were lucky if they retained a home and a livelihood, Granuaile led her own army and her own

fleet of ships. Reading this history can be frustrating, though, because so little is known about her, and Chambers is (understandably) reluctant to speculate. The sense of Granuaile's personality that come through the few primary sources is so tantalizing.

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LibraryThing member caseybp

A riveting picture of Irish history and the woman who should be as famous as Elizabeth I.

LibraryThing member satyridae

Sometimes meandering but always fascinating tale of the historical Irish pirate Grace O'Malley. Largely written out of history by the Irish historians of her time for being a woman in a man's job, Chambers here goes a long way toward redeeming O'Malley's place in history.

LibraryThing member Chris_El

The book was a bit disorganized. Reflects different grammar rules than what I usually see, not sure if that reflects mistakes or that Ireland uses different rules....

While this was about a pirate queen I have no idea if her galleys had cannon. How much if at all they used muskets and several other

thing that could easily been included.

Overall this book felt more like a recitation of facts than relating the life story of an exciting individual.

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