The World of Grace O'Malley

About the Book

Grace O'Malley was a sea captain and clan leader, pirate and politico, business woman and warrior, as well as a dutiful daughter, wife, and mother. Though shaped by her times, she shattered the mold for women of her day. She would be a formidable figure in any era, including our own. Part of the sea-faring O'Malley clan, she inherited a deep love of the oceans and dominated trade on the Irish coast. On land, she personally led her clansmen in battle, waging relentless war on rival leaders throughout the Emerald Isle. Even powerful English officials were threatened by her influence. They saw her as "nurse to all rebellions." When she went to meet the Queen of England, the two women dealt as proud equals who had maneuvered their way through 16th century war and politics with skill and aplomb.

About the Author

Elizabeth O’Maley lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her husband Larry. They have four adult children and three grandchildren. Like Grace O’Malley, they all love traveling and exploring new places. They don’t know if they are descended from Grace, but enjoy imagining it! Elizabeth is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a BA in Political Science and a MS in School Psychology. She has two previously published books, By Freedom’s Light (Indiana Historical Society, 2009) and Bones on the Ground (Indiana Historical Society, 2014). The World of Grace O’Malley: Irish Mistress of the Seas began as a gift to my family in celebration of their Irish heritage. Special thanks to my husband Larry for traveling up and down the west coast of Ireland with me in search of Grace, to Carrie O’Maley Voliva for help preparing the manuscript, to National Library of Ireland for use of vintage photos, to artist Gerry Dillon of Limerick for use of his paintings, and to Grace O’Malley for speaking so strongly to my imagination. Editor’s Note: Elizabeth O’Maley died on May 20, 2014.