During the 1500s in Clew Bay, and on Clare Island, positioned off Ireland’s west coast, Grace O’Malley and the seagoing O’Malley clan robbed and harassed (or “taxed”) passing English ships to such an extent that Grace earned the title “Pirate Queen of Clew Bay.” After the death of her first husband, Grace put together a rough-and-tumble fleet of sea marauders, which she kept running after her second marriage to Richard Bourke (Iron Richard), all the while engaging in piracy, attacking castles, fomenting rebellion, and still managing to raise a family at the same time.