Clare Island Survey — History and Archaeology . 2-11 



out with the words, "I dismiss you": so her second marriage ended. 1 She 

 sided with Bingham 3 and the English against her husband's forces, and in 

 gratitude for her efficient help Queen Elizabeth asked her to the English 

 Court, where Grania met her as a sister queen. 3 She refused to be created a 

 countess, but accepted an earldom for her little son " Toby of the Ship 4 " ; 

 some say it was on her return from England that she visited Howth, and 

 carried off young St. Laurence. 5 Her favourite castle was that of Cliara ; 

 there she kept her fleetest galleys ; their cables passed through the window 

 and were tied to her bed-post. She ruled manfully to the day of her death, 

 and was laid in the holy ground of Cliara Abbey, the most able chief of her 

 clan. She, the closest ally of the English, 7 even against the native chiefs, got 

 idealized into a patriotic Amazon, and the song of " Grania Uaile " is still 

 preserved and is based on this delusion. I have given the Cliara legend of 

 her earlier marriage at Toberfelabreed. 



In history 8 she appears as " Grainne ni Mhaille," or " Grainne na 

 gcearbach," of the gamblers. By the latter title she is described in a 

 panegyric on Shane O'Doherty about 1598. 9 She was a daughter of Doodarra 

 O'Malley, some time chieftain of Upper Owle O'Malley(Murrisk) ; her mother 

 was Margaret ny Malley, a daughter of Conogher O'Malley, of the same 

 county and family. 10 Grania was wife first of Donnell O'Flaherty, chief 

 of Ballinahinch, and secondly of Bicard an Iarainn Bourke, chief of Carra and 

 Burrishoole. The latter succeeded Sir John Bourke as MacWilliam Eighter, 

 and died in 1583. She first appears in history as driving away the fleet sent 

 to besiege Carrigahowly in 1574; two years later she visited Sir Henry 

 Sidney, who calls her " a most famous feminine sea captain called Granny 



1 A similar legend is told of Maureen Rime O'Brien of Lemeneagh, Co. Clare, 1640. 



2 Not Bingham but Sidney (Carew mss. 1583, No. 501), and later on Malbie, this time against her 

 husband. 



3 The visit was later, and as a humble petitioner. 



4 Theobald, ancestor of the Earls of Mayo ; he married Meadhbh, sister of O'Conor, Sligo, and was 

 only created Earl in 1628, thirty-five years after his mother's visit to London. 



5 Duald Mac Firbisinbis " Great Book of Genealogies" says that Richard O'Cuairsci (MacWilliam 

 Eighter, H69-1479) " took the Lord of Beann Edair, and brought him to Tirawley." 



6 This is not borne out by the State Papers, in which Rockfleet or Carrigahowly was her 

 residence. 



7 Sir R. Bingham, however, calls her " Grany Maly, a notable traitress and nurse to all rebellions 

 in Connauglit for forty years," Cal. State Papers Ireland, 1593, No. 18. 



8 See Mr. Hubert T. Knox in Journal Gal way Archaeol. and Hist. Soc, vol. iv, p. 65. He has 

 brought together much material. Much lias been published in the Calendars of Carew mss. and 

 Irish State Papers. As Mr. Knox says : " The English records alone show what she was ; she is 

 mentioned by no Irish annalist." 



9 " Graine na gcearhhach he plundered." O'Doherty plundered Umhall in 1598. He was 

 father of Sir Caher O'Doherty. O'Donovan knew of no other contemporary record of Grania Uailo 

 (0. S. Letters, vol ii, p. 249). Hardiman's Elizabethan Map No. 1 records " Male Grani." 



10 Her replies to the queries on her petition, Cal. State Papers Ireland, July, 1593, No. 62. 



r. r, a. i>ROC, vol. xxxi. F 2 



