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

Rockfleet Castle is deeply woven into the tapestry of Ireland’s tumultuous 16th-century history and the legendary life of Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s iconic “Pirate Queen.”

It stands as a powerful symbol of Irish heritage, female leadership, and resistance against colonial rule. Its association with Grace O’Malley has elevated it from a mere architectural relic to a site of national and international significance.

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It stands as a four-storey tower house on the rugged coastline of County Mayo, overlooking the drumlins and waters of Clew Bay. Its imposing stone walls and strategic location made it both a fortress and a maritime hub, perfectly suited to the seafaring chieftains who ruled the region.

It is well named because even today, it's a very safe and deep anchorage for ships and that’s what always attracted the Pirate Queen. 

“It's the sea that sets Grace O’Malley apart from every other women leader. She is now an icon of the Wild Atlantic Way”, renowned biographer Anne Chambers explains. 

This historic stronghold played a pivotal role in both the personal and political life of O’Malley, who ruled the western seas with extraordinary defiance in a male-dominated world. Once part of the lands of Richard-in-Iron Bourke, a powerful Mayo chieftain named for the iron mines at Furnace, Carrickahowley was central to a network of castles including Burrishoole and Newport.

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The author of bestselling biography, “Grace O’Malley – The Biography Of Ireland’s Pirate Queen 1530-1603”, Anne Chambers is well placed to outline the historical significance of the castle.

In 1567, Grace O’Malley married Richard Bourke, and their union produced a son, Theobald — or Tibbott-ne-Long — who would later be elevated to the title of Lord Mayo by King Charles I in 1627. 

Following Richard’s death in 1583, Grace returned to Carrickahowley with a formidable force and a thousand head of cattle, taking full possession of the castle as part of her dowry. “A dweller in Carrickahowley,” as she later described herself in English State Papers unearthed by her biographer Anne Chambers.

The castle also stood as a site of fierce defiance. On March 8, 1579, Grace withstood a 26-day siege by Captain Martin and troops sent by Galway merchants angered by her levying of tolls on their shipping. Not only did she repel the attackers, but she reportedly pursued them across Clew Bay to Galway itself.

Grace’s defiance continued throughout her life. In 1589, she again found herself under siege — this time by Sir Richard Bingham, the English Governor of Connaught, who labelled her “a notable traitor and chief director of thieves and murders at sea.” Though Bingham failed to capture her, he ravaged the surrounding countryside and confiscated much of her livestock.

In 1593, with English forces tightening their grip on the west and her son imprisoned by Bingham, Grace departed from Carrickahowley on perhaps her most famous voyage — to negotiate with Queen Elizabeth I in Greenwich. It was a daring journey that would secure the release of her son and cement her place in both Irish history and folklore.

As part of the annual international O’Malley Clan Rally, Anne Chambers will lead a group of 150 clan members will visit Carrickahowley before heading to Achill this Saturday, June 28. The tour will offer an expert insight into the life and legend of Grace O’Malley — warrior, leader, and woman of remarkable resilience — in the very castle where so much of her extraordinary story unfolded.