Rockfleet and the Pirate Queen
24 September 2018
Sitting right along the water’s edge on the rugged coastline of County Mayo is the Rockfleet Castle. A tower castle – a tall, rectangular, kinda boxy looking stone fortress - Rockfleet was a stronghold for the O’Malley clan back in the 16th century. The castle literally sits right on the water’s edge, making it an ideal fortress for more nautically minded rulers. It is a rather plain structure, but its straight lines make for a striking contrast with the rugged natural coastline that surrounds it.
But again the castle itself is rather plain to look at. The thing that really makes it interesting is its history, specifically that it was the home of the legendary “Pirate Queen” Grace O’Malley.
Eoghan O’Malley ruled in the castle as head of the O’Malley clan until his death. Upon his passing, Rockfleet Castle was taken over by his daughter Grace O’Malley, who had returned to her family’s place after the passing of her own husband. She took over not only the castle, but also as the head of the O’Malley clan, where she was known as a feisty leader who was not afraid to challenge the other leaders around her. Bold enough for any ruler for sure, but for a woman in this time period it was nothing less than revolutionary. In 1579 the sheriff of Galway led an expedition of ships to attack Rockfleet and remove her from power. His fleet barely made it back. Legends surround the Pirate Queen, from the loyalty of her fleet and people to her bold negotiating with fellow rulers to the tale of how the line that docked her ship went through her window and tied by her bedside so she was ready to sail at any moment.
Make no mistake, Grace O’Malley was an absolute badass!
Rockfleet Castle sits right on the water, and at high tide can be very difficult to access. While this may have been a strategic advantage for the castle’s defense, it unfortunately has led to the deterioration of the structure over the years. Nothing can withstand the force of the sea forever. As such, it is no longer possible to go into the castle for safety reasons. Too bad, but our visit was during low tide so we could walk the seabed around the castle. It was a beautiful mix of browns and greens as the natural landscape contrasted with the rigid walls of the castle. You could only imagine back in Grace O’Malley’s day when the tide was in and ships were anchored just feet from the castle walls. It must have been an impressive sight!
