Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/427

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O'MA
O'MA


managed to earn his own living. He seemed, however, to care nothing for suc- cess in life, his whole mind being absorbed with one idea— rebellion in Ireland. A ten-dollar greenback over and above his immediate wants was a fortune to him, but one that he held a loose hold of ; for any pei-son who approached him with a woeful story was sure to get it out of him." He died in New York 7th February 1877, aged 61 ; and his remains were shortly afterwards brought to Ireland, and attend- ed to the grave at Glasneviu with the honours of a public fxmeral. ^^3

O'Malley, Grace, or Grania Uaile, a Connaught princess, who flourished in the 1 6th century. Her father, Owen O'Malley, was a noted leader of piratical expeditions, and she appears to have fol- lowed in his footsteps. Her larger vessels were generally moored off Clare Island, where her chief stronghold was situated, whilst her smaller craft were kept at Carrigahowly Castle, in Newport Bay. Ee wards were from time to time set upon her head by the Government. She was first married to Donald O'Flaherty, a chief who owned the extensive fortress of Bunowen ; and secondly, to Sir Eichard Bourke, chief of the Mayo sept of that name. Viceroy Sydney writes concerning his visit to Galway in 1576 : " There came to me a most famous feminine sea captain, called Grany I-Mallye, and offered her service unto me wheresoever I would com- mand her, with three galleys and 2CX) fight- ing men, either in Ireland or Scotland. She brought with me her husband, for she was, as well by sea as by land, more than master's mate with him. He was of the nether Bourkes, and now, as I hear, Mac- WUliam Enter, and called by nickname ' Eichard ' in Irish. This was a notorious woman in aU the coasts of Ireland." In 1577, while engaged on a piratical expe- dition to Kerry, she was taken prisoner by the Earl of Desmond. The Lord-Justice wTote from LeighUn in 1578 : "To that place was brought unto me Grane-ny- MaUle, a woman of the province of Con- naught, governing a country of the O'Flahertys, famous for her stoutness of courage and person, and for sundry ex- ploits done by her at sea. She was taken by the Earl of Desmond a year and a half ago, and has remayned ever since partly with him, and partly in her Majesty's gaol in Limerick ; and was sent for now by me to come to Dublyn, where she is yet remayning." Obtaining her release, she returned home ; but her depredations again became so intolerable to the merchants of the west that in March 1579 an expedi-

tion was sent from Galway against her castle of Carrigahowly, which, after hos- tilities lasting over twelve days, proved an ignominious failure. After the death of her second husband [See Bourke, Eichard], " she gathered together aU her own fol- lowers, and with 1,000 head of cows and wares departed and became a dweller in Borosowle, parcel of the Erie of Or- mond's lands." She and her sons were constantly at war with their neighbours. Sir Eichard Bingham, Governor of Con- naught, writing about the year 1590, says she was "a notable traitress, and has been nurse of all the rebellions in the province for forty years." Never- theless we find her in 1593 embarking in one of her own galleys, and visiting Queen Elizabeth at Westminster, or, as one writer says, " giving Queen Elizabeth an opportunity of being introduced to her." She was pardoned by Elizabeth, and, in the words of a memorial afterwards presented to the Queen promised " ever to remayne in all obedience and allegiance, and to the uttermost of her power resist aU remnants of rebellious enemyes, and pray continually for your Majesty's long life and prosperous reign. . . Ever thence she dwelleth in Connaught, a farmer's life, verie poore, bearing cess, and paying her Majesty's composition rent. Utterly did she give over her former thrade of maintenance by sea and land." Yet on her return from England she is said to have carried off the heir of the' St. Lawrence family from Howth Castle, because of not having been hospitably entertained there. Furthermore, in July 1 60 1, a sloop of war cruising off the west of Ireland fell in with a large piratical sailing galley, reputed to belong to Grace O'Malley, and commanded by her son. It was described as powerful for offence or defence, rowed with thirty oars, and defended by 100 musketeers. The vessel was not captured until after a severe struggle. Grace O'Malley is said to have been buried within the pre- cincts of a religious establishment on Clare Island, which she had endowed. All we are told of her personal appearance is that she was "a dark lady, tall and command- ing." Lord Mayo is said to be lineally descended from her. "^'55) S4 55 330

O'Malley, Thaddeus, Eev., "The Father of Federalism in Ireland," as he was wont to call himself, was born in the dio- cese of Limerick about 1796. He entered the priesthood at an early age. His first appearance in politics was as an advocate of the introduction of the Poor-law into Ire- land, in opposition to O'ConneU's denun- ciations. He also favoured the system of

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