Grace O'Malley (l. c. 1530-1603) was an Irish chieftain and seafarer who became famous as a pirate and rebel during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) who was trying to increase her control of Irish lands. O'Malley's exploits made her a folk heroine while official Irish histories tend to ignore her.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 1530 - 1603Life of Grace O'Malley.
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c. 1546Grace O'Malley marries Donal O'Flaherty.
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1565Donal O'Flaherty is killed in ambush; Grace O'Malley moves with her children back to ancestral lands.
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c. 1566Grace O'Malley marries chieftain Richard Burke, and the two become partners in business.
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c. 1577 - c. 1579Grace O'Malley imprisoned in Limerick and then at Dublin Castle.
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c. 1583Richard Burke, Grace O'Malley's second husband, dies.
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1585Sir Richard Bingham begins his persecution of the Irish, including Grace O'Malley and her family.
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1593Grace O'Malley meets with Queen Elizabeth I to free her sons from prison and guarantee her own safety.
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1603Grace O'Malley dies of natural causes at one of her castles.
