Grace O'Malley: The Pirate Queen of Ireland

by History Nerds

The name Grace O'Malley stands forever as a sign and symbol that even in repressive times no one can be held back that chooses their destiny. A Pirate, a wife, a mother, and a fearsome warrior, Grace carved her name in the annuls of history standing up to Lords, ladies, and even Queen Elizabeth as she refused to bow the knee to someone she called "an equal". A strong woman in a day where men sought to ignore them, a Pirate who fought better than many men, and a fearsome warrior who is quoted in the middle of a battle as having shouted at her son. "Why are you hiding back there? Are you trying to climb back inside my womb?" Can a woman have a career and a family? Grace did. Can a woman be a Pirate? Grace did. Can an Irishwoman come face to face with an English Queen, hold her own, smuggle a dagger into the meeting, and come out with an agreement? Grace did. Jump into this concise retelling of Grace, her husbands, sons, battles, and much more.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

73 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2021

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

My cat child Mar-vell died today, he got sick and went downhill fast. He was only three 😔 😟. I'm glad he's not hurting anymore but I miss him so much.

This was one of the few things I could concentrate on today.

3 stars 🌟 🤩

Interesting history, some stuff I knew, but most of it was new to me. I wanted to go back in time to meet Grace and also smack/drop kick (at the very least) many people (hulksmash!)

Grace was an interesting woman, living in very trying times.. doing what she had to to survive.

I would have liked more on her adventures at sea but overall enjoyed this bit of history.

There were parts that weren't about Grace at all. While interesting, it was also puzzling a bit. Background setting is my guess but *shrugs*

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just made me want to read better written books about Grace O' Malley. So, thanks....I guess?

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild Irish 🌹 Rose

Quick history of the area around present day County Sligo , Ireland, including Clew Bay. The book starts out back in about 300 C.E, and goes to the time of Grace O'Malley, who died in 1603. This is a great overview and would inspire the curious mind to do further reading on Irish history and heroes.

ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
I also got this ebook with KU.

I liked that some of the Irish names were shown in their original Gaelic forms, then the translation was shown.The people's were quite violent and warlike, much of it against the English

There were no maps or pictures, which would have been extremely helpful. The book really needs some maps!

[Anniken Haga · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure exactly what I expected from this, just that I expected more. This ''book'' is more a paper than anything else, and it doesn't even focus that much on Grace O'Malley. Instead, it talks a lot about what happened in Ireland during Grace's lifetime, and what happened to the men in her life, rather than what happened in her life.

Of course, as is stated in the beginning of the book, there isn't that much historical material to build on. It might have been at one time, but Christianity and the patriarchy would have done their best to burn away any hint of a woman like Grace. The fact that she was a Pirate Queen of Ireland, and not the Caribbean, also makes it harder to find information about her, as pirates around Great Britain was all but legal, unlike their cousins further south.

That said, I was disappointed at how little focus there was on Grace, and that the author didn't even consider or explore the possibilitets of her life. Instead, they treated Grace like the British would, instead of the Irish, as there was a great difference in how the two cultures viewed their women.

I'm just disappointed, I think. But it did make me a bit more curious about Grace, and I might tryt of ind more books about her in the future.

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 52 Book Challenge - 18) An Apostrophe In The Title

This was a very brief overview of Grace O'Malley, from her birth through her childhood through her marriages and her meeting with Queen Elizabeth I and finishing with her death. I found it quite interesting, and it makes me want to find a more in-depth book to find out more about her.

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed and badly written. A lot of the time it left me wondering where the sources had come from - official documents, legend, made up?
Such a shame! Would have loved a good book on a real-life pirate queen!

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-crafted portrayal of Grace O'Malley's life is not only accessible but also highly engaging, making for an enjoyable read. The information provided is both captivating and entertaining, offering a succinct yet thorough glimpse into Grace O'Malley's journey from her birth, childhood, marriages, encounters with Queen Elizabeth I, to her eventual demise. The book serves as a tantalizing introduction, leaving readers intrigued and eager to delve deeper into her story through more extensive readings.

This historical account delves into the extraordinary life of Grace O'Malley, highlighting her uniqueness in an era where such individuality was a rarity. The narrative skillfully intertwines the historical context of her time, shedding light on societal norms and Grace O'Malley's daring adventures. It's enlightening to discover that, during her era, being a pirate wasn't necessarily stigmatized.

Essentially, the book takes readers on a swift journey through the region surrounding present-day County Sligo, Ireland, with a particular focus on Clew Bay. Spanning from approximately 300 C.E. to Grace O'Malley's passing in 1603, the narrative offers a concise yet illuminating overview. It serves as an excellent entry point, sparking curiosity and prompting readers to further explore the rich tapestry of Irish history and its extraordinary heroes. In summary, a compelling introduction that kindles interest and invites readers to embark on a deeper exploration of Grace O'Malley's world and the historical landscape of Ireland.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intro to Irish history c. 1575 - 1603.

This book is a short history about Grace O'Malley and her region. Unfortunately there was a lot of war happening around her due to the English occupation of Ireland. Many details in this small book concerned the battles rather than focusing on Grace O'Malley herself.

Before reading this I knew nothing about Grace O'Malley. Now I know where she lived and who she married and who her children were. I learned that she is known as The Pirate Queen of Ireland. And seriously, that's about all I learned about her. I have no idea what her favorite color was, or how many miscarriages she had, if any, or what kinds of foods she ate. Did she do the cooking or did she have a hired cook?

Since she lived in castles it seems reasonable to think there may have been cooks, but who knows? Maybe nobody knows because it was too long ago to have details like that available.

I had fun looking for the places associated with her on Google Maps. I had no idea there were that many castles in Ireland!

Because of this book I'm likely to explore the possibilities of reading more about Irish history and the life of Grace O'Malley. There are other books about her but right now I don't know what they are. I'm glad I took time to learn a little bit about her life.

[davidgonzalezsr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of Grace O'Malley and the History Nerds did a great job of enlightening me. This book was well researched and provided a glimpse into her life. The narration by Ailish Jeffers fit perfectly. This was an easy and enjoyable listen. I will look for more works from the History Nerds as I fancy myself a bit of a History Nerd.

Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to or will listen to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.

I requested this book from the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Debyi Kucera (Book&BuJo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace O’Malley: The Pirate Queen of Ireland by History Nerds is a historical account of Grace O’Malley, a Pirate, a wife, a mother, and a warrior.

Grace O’Malley is an interesting, determined, driven, and strong woman. Grace did it all, she had a career (Pirate) a wife, and a mother. Grace came face-to-face with the Queen of England and came to an agreement.

This story is short with some great information. As I didn’t know any of the history of Grace O’Malley, I learned quite a bit and enjoyed my time while reading it. I wish there had been a bit more about her time at sea as a Pirate, but her overall story was interesting even without it. I definitely want to find out more.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an account of a very remarkable woman from a time when women were considered inferior. Grace was an Irish warrior who fought for personal and national freedom in the 1500s. She was a pirate and a landowner who refused to bow to Queen Elizabeth the First, whom she considered her equal. In many ways, she was the uncrowned queen of Ireland. I would like to learn more about this brave and incredible woman.

[ArPeGiOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I didn´t know nothing abour Grace o´Malley, so this book was a completely discovery for me. I really enjoyed reading about this female person who challenged all the prejudices from her age. She really was feared on land and sea and she has an inspiring life.

great book, written in a nice manner, although it conteins a lot of facts, the reading is easy to read to,

5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gary Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit of history

This book is about The pirate queen of Ireland, Grace O'Malley, but it also gives a little bit of history before and of the other individuals that were around during her time. It was interesting to learn that being a pirate during her time wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

History is always good to learn, the more you do, the more things fall into place.

[Jodie Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a read! I love reading about strong women of History. I had not heard of this woman before, so I learnt a lot reading this book. It is written well. It has Chapters from Land and Lore, Clew Bay, Second Marriage, Later life etc.
It was a lot to take in and learn, but I loved it!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rowan Creech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting historical book about a woman who was quite unique for her time. The history of her time period is covered well in this book as well as some of Grace O'Malley's adventures in her life.

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This look at Grace O'Malley was well written and easy to read. I found the information to be both interesting and entertaining. I was able to learn some new facts and that always makes me happy.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace O'Malley was a wonderful woman who entirely deserves the name "Pirate Queen of Ireland". This book was a great biography of her.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joan O · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical list of events between Ireland & England

For those who love the history of Ireland & England this book will be useful. It highlights the events of Grace's life & how she fought for the rights of her land and family.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick rundown of Ireland from medieval times to the sixteenth century, highlighting the life of Grace O'Malley and her various land and sea campaigns to take and keep power. A fascinating individual.

[Martin Collopy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read.

Highly recommended.
A small correction, there is no place called Kindale, it should read Kinsale, (I know it well), It was well written and very enjoyable.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good (introductory, for me) read of Grace O'Malley. Is packed with background and intertwined European history of Ireland and England. .

[Jaynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry

The story is interesting, but reads like a text book. I found myself longing for more of the personal events & accounts. Dry.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy History Nerds’ books. Most can be read quickly getting an overview of particular person or historical event.

[Gerald Melican]

Time to read a more thoughtful book about Grace O'Malley

[Agatha Crispy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview, very fast pace