Irish Pirates

A long and gory history

When you think of pirates it’s always the English Privateers that spring to mind but Ireland has a much richer history and for far longer.

Morgan, Blackbeard and co were mere pussycats when compared to Irish pirates. The Pirates of the Caribbean era (the real ones not the Johnny Depp variety) only lasted for about 70 years and most were hung by the very Royals who commissioned them in the first place. 

 The history of piracy in Ireland on the other hand stretches for closer to 1500 years. Even our Patron Saint, St Patrick came to Ireland as a slave, captured by irish pirates and taken from his Roman parents living in Wales

A brief history 

 There’s Viking blood in our heritage and the urge to plunder and enslave ran deep. They were after all the founders of Dublin and there are those who, after the recent financial meltdown would tell you there are pirates still in that place.

 We know that east coast Irish pirates made slave raids to the British mainland throughout the fifth century because of the documented capture and enslavement of no less a man than St Patrick himself.

O’Pirates

O’Piracy ruled in the west with numerous pirate clans, the O’Malleys, O’Flahertys, O’Sullivans and O’Driscolls. 

 On the North coast Dunluce Castle close to the Giants Causeway was the home of the McDonnell pirate clan and for centuries Piracy seemed to be a major source of employment and revenue throughout this island.

 By the 1600s virtually the whole of West Cork was a Pirate stronghold with ships ranging across the Atlantic as far as Africa to take prizes and slaves.

 Luke Ryan, an Irish Privateer was still hounding British ships in the 1790s in the name of the American War of Independence.

Anne Bonny 1702 (or 1698) - 1782

 Woman have played a prominent role in Irish piraty. Anne Bonny for instance born Anne Cormac in Cork, 1698 (or 1702 there’s some confusion) ran amok with Calico Jack until he was hanged.  Anne was the original pirate pin-up girl with masses of curly red hair, a temper to match and fought alongside her English counterpart Mary Read.

 Details of her life are sketchy and most of what we do know comes from the  General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates, published in 1724, Captain Charles Johnson

 She set out on her piracy career by marrying a small-time pirate James Bonny. Her ambitions were greater than James and she was less than happy when she found he was acting as an informer for the Governor. Anne ran off with Calico Jack Rackham and later divorced James becoming first mate on Jack’s ship Revenge in every sense of the word.

 Both Anne and Mary dressed as men on the ship and after stealing a new ship, the William They enjoyed a good deal of success until their capture in 1720 by a ship captained by one Jonathon Barnet.

Anne was hopping mad at Rackham who, like most of his crew was too drunk to fight when a Kings Ship found them. Together the two women held off Barnet’s men in a vicious fight  but were overwhelmed by numbers She blamed him for their capture and her last words to him in prison were hardly comforting: 

“Sorry to see you there, but if you'd fought like a man, you would not have been hanged like a Dog”.

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Both she and Mary Read were pregnant at the time so got a stay of execution. Mary died of fever in prison but there is no record of Anne being hanged or remaining in prison. Her later life is something of a mystery until her death in Charleston S. Carolina at the age of 80+.

 Anne was a woman to be reckoned with but none can compare with the Pirate Queen.

The O’Malley Pirate Queen - Gráinne Mhaol 

Also known as Granuaile, Grace O'Malley, The Pirate Queen and head of the O' Malley Clan. 1530 - 1603

 The Clan O’Malley had wielded power over the West of Ireland from the 1300s. Their power base was the shore of Clew Bay, Achill Island and most of Murrisk.

They were known as ruthless pirates who terrorised ships trading on the west coast, taxing all those who fished in their waters and they built a series of coastal castles to protect their territory.

Gráinne Ní Mháille was born into the clan at a time when Henry VIII had declared himself lord of Ireland. The O’Malleys disagreed.

An Educated, Clever Woman

She was well educated and grew up on Clare island speaking Irish Gaelic but because of her later travels and trade, she likely spoke some English, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic, and French. In her meetings with Elizabeth I they spoke in fluent Latin.

 The later part of the 16th century witnessed the feuding and infighting amongst the Irish Clans coming to a bloody peak. The English saw the opportunity and moved in for the kill. It would have all collapsed in a tangled mess but for one woman: Gráinne Mhaol. She established herself as a leader of the clans and a fierce fighter on both land and sea

Gráinne Mhaol had a fearsome reputation and gave the English Crown the run around for quite some time. She was said to have poured molten lead onto soldiers of the crown.

She was not a lady to mess with and bold as brass.

When her son and half-brother were captured by Sir Richard Bingham she did no less than to sail up the Thames for a chat with Queen Elizabeth I who even more strangely took a liking to her.  Granuaile refused to bend the knee as one queen to another and secured their release with a promise to be a good girl and not pour any more lead on Elizabeth’s soldiers. 

Sir Richard by all accounts was not amused.

She returned to Ireland to continue her piratical activities in secret whilst smiling sweetly and insisting she was a loyal subject. The pirate Queen and the Virgin Queen must have been a a sight to behold.

Today there stands a bronze statue of Gráinne Mhaol in the grounds of Westport House in Mayo. The bronze is hard and cold like the woman herself.

Guess who’s coming to dinner

The stories of her exploits have filled many books but this is one of our favourites.

O’Malley called on the home of Lord Howth but was informed that the family was at dinner and the castle gates were closed against her.

Not a woman to be refused, she abducted the Earl's grandson and heir, Christopher St Lawrence and agreed to release him only on the promise to keep the gates open to unexpected visitors and henceforth to set an extra place at every meal.

The agreement is honoured to this day at Howth Castle and the ring Lord Howth gave her as pledge on the agreement remains in the possession of the O'Malley’s.

So, If you fancy a free meal turn up at the castle and tell them Grace O’Malley sent you – it might work, you just never know..