Grace O'Malley was born the only child to chieftain Dubhdara of the O'Malley clan. Growing up in a man's world, Grace learned the trades of the O'Malley pirates. She learned to fight, barter, sail, and as the daughter of a chieftain, lead. When Grace is a young woman, her father and the chieftain of the O'Flaherty clan, Ballinahinch, arrange a marriage between Grace and Ballinahinch's son, Donal. The marriage could create a united front against the English, who at this point are conquering clans left and right. Grace agrees to the marriage despite the fact that she will no longer be able to have the two things she loves most in the world: her lover, Tiernan, and the sea, as the O'Flaherty's are a clan based on the shore. Grace travels with her new husband, who turns out to be nothing more than a drunk and a womanizer, to Rockfleet where the O'Flaherty clan resides. The marriage is hard, especially for Grace, who is not used to taking a "woman's” role. When word arrives that English soldiers have landed in Belclare, a town halfway between Rockfleet and the O'Malley base of Clew Bay, the two clans decide to march to Belclare and unite against the English. Grace wants to join in the fight but Donal tells her to stay behind with the women. Grace is furious but she soon hears cries that the English have landed in Rockfleet. Belclare was a diversion the real target being Grace herself because she destroyed an English fleet as captain of an O'Malley crew years before. Grace and the women trick the soldiers by pretending to be naïve and innocent before slaughtering the whole lot. Donal and the crew return home to find the English soldiers dead at the hands of Grace O'Malley. She now has a new status among the O'Flaherty women, easing Donal unhappily off his pedestal. The clan then hears that Dubhdara, Grace's father, is on his death bed. Frantically Grace races back to Clew Bay and is surprised to find that clan O'Flaherty is willing to follow her because of her new status with the women. Upon arriving at Clew Bay, Donal grows excited. He believes that Dubhdara will pass his chieftains ring and power over to Donal because he is Grace’s husband, making Donal chieftain of both clans. But just before dying, Dubhdara does something unheard of: he dies he passes his status and ring on to Grace, making her the first ever female chieftain. Now Captain of her very own ship and crew, Grace gives birth on board to her son Eoin. A few days after the birth, the ship is attacked by the English and Grace hears Donal begging to surrender to the English. Embarrassed and enraged, Grace picks up her sword and joins the fray despite just having given birth. The crew wins but at a considerable loss. Furious at Donal for his cowardice, Grace dismisses him, an act in which a wife or husband may merely dismiss the other in the first three years of marriage approved by an old Irish law. Grace and Tiernan are now free to voice their feeling for one another again. Donal is embarrassed at being dismissed by his own wife, so he goes to the English and tells them of Grace’s whereabouts. English troops attack during Eoin’s christening and a battle ensues in which Donal is killed. Grace is taken captive but Tiernan manages to get Eoin to safety. After seven years of Grace’s imprisonment Tiernan goes to England and begs to trade places with Grace, who has a child at home to raise. Elizabeth is touched that a woman in power could still be loved; after all the only men who have ever "loved" Elizabeth just did it to gain power. Elizabeth, to everyone's surprise, accepts the trade: Grace is free, Tiernan captive. Grace returns to Ireland to find it in total ruin from English invasions, with everyone starving and diseased. Grace goes back to England and begs for Ireland’s case, despite the threat that she could be taken captive again. Elizabeth is furious that Grace dares return but Grace pleas to her to use her power and her natural instincts as a woman to rule wisely as no man can rule. They have a private two hour discussion in which what was discussed remains unknown to this day. In the end Grace and Tiernan are free to go home and Grace is given her ships and land back to rule over for a lifetime. Grace and Tiernan return to Ireland and reunite with Eoin with hopes for a brighter future for Ireland and their leader, who truly is a Pirate Queen.
...hehe...