O'Malley Clan annual gathering takes place this month in Clare

Denise O’Malley, the seventieth chieftain of the O’Malley clan, is preparing to welcome members of one of Ireland’s most storied families to Ennis on June 26–28, 2026, for a gathering that has become an institution since it was first held in 1953.

Inaugurated in Westport last June, Denise carries the weight of a remarkable family history — one marked by resilience, rebellion, and a deep connection to Clare Island, the ancestral home of the clan on the western seaboard.

​A tragic drowning

Among the most haunting chapters of the O’Malley story is the death of Denise’s great-grandfather, Anthony O’Malley, who drowned in 1883 during the turbulent Land League era. The story, passed down through generations, remains vivid on Clare Island to this day.“

The islanders still talk about that drowning like it was last week,” Denise said.

READ MORE: Sieges, a thousand cows and deathplace of the Pirate Queen - The historical significance of Rockfleet Castle

The circumstances were rooted in the brutal economics of the time. When a landlord called in the British authorities to enforce rent collection, gunships were dispatched to Clew Bay and anchored off Clare Island to intimidate tenants into paying.“England sent a pile of gunships to Clew Bay and parked off Clare Island to intimidate the islanders to pay their rent,” Denise explained.

Anthony and his brother Michael, both married to sisters from Louisburgh, travelled to the mainland to collect their father-in-law’s branding iron — a move that would have legally protected their livestock from seizure — and to gather rent money.

The return journey proved fatal: “When they were coming back from the mainland, they took the ballast out of the boat so that the boat would get home faster, and six people went down with the boat. They drowned.”

Denise’s grandfather’s family became known as the Sarah’s because their mother was Sarah O’Malley.“So if I go to Clare island tomorrow, all I have to say is, I’m one of the ‘Sarah’s’, and they know who I am,” she told The Mayo News.

Anthony’s son, John Anthony, subsequently settled in Rathdowney, Co Laois, where he ran a pub — beginning a new chapter for that branch of the clan far from their island roots.​

The O’Malley Clan

The formal story of the O’Malley clan as an organised body begins in 1948, but it was a gathering in 1953 — called to raise funds for the restoration of Rockfleet Castle, associated with Grace O’Malley — that revealed just how many O’Malleys were out there.“

The opening in 1953 of Rockfleet Castle, after being renovated, 500 O’Malleys turned up,” Denise recalled. “So John J O’Malley there in Westport — he was our first chieftain of the O’Malley Clan.

WATCH: SNEAK PEAK inside Mayo Castle that has been closed for six years

And they said, ‘Oh my God, we’ve got something here. There’s over 500 O’Malleys after turning up.’

So the clan gathering has been held every year since 1953.”

This year’s Ennis gathering marks the fiftieth anniversary of Denise’s father’s own chieftainship, adding a personal milestone to the occasion. Around 150 members typically attend each year. Organisers have noted that attendance this year may be somewhat lower than usual due to the ongoing conflict in Iran affecting travel.

Finding Grace: DNA project

One of the most exciting recent developments for the clan has been the ‘Finding Grace: DNA project’, which Denise describes with evident pride. The project has produced genetic evidence confirming that the O’Malley clan shares markers directly linking them to Grace O’Malley — Gráinne Mhaol — the sixteenth century pirate queen and chieftain who remains one of the most iconic figures in Irish history.

MORE

The 2026 gathering takes place June 26–28 in Ennis, Co Clare. Further details are available on the O’Malley clan website.