Also known as Grace O’ Malley, the Pirate Queen of Connaught, Chief Commander and Director of Thieves and Murders at Sea, Gráinne was Queen of Umaill and the chieftain of the Ó Máille clan.
A red head born with salt water in her veins, there’s a story told of Gráinne as a child that involves her father denying her request to set sail with him because her hair was too long - so she cut off all of her hair and stowed away on his ship. By the time she was discovered it was too late to send her back.
She led raids against English ships and terrorized outlying Scottish islands as well as leading much of the Irish rebellion against English suppression.
In 1593 Gráinne petitioned Queen Elizabeth I for the release of her sons and half-brother and ended up at Greenwich Palace for a face to face meeting. Gráinne refused to bow to Elizabeth saying that she did not recognize the English queen as Queen of Ireland. The two women talked for hours and hammered out an agreement. Elizabeth agreed to recall the Governor that had caused Gráinne and Ireland so much grief if Gráinne agreed to stop supporting the Irish rebellions. Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn’t uphold her end of the bargain and eventually Gráinne was back to terrorizing the English.
Gráinne’s fragrance is the Irish coast and her ships.
Heather and moss, stormy sea water, driftwood and a fougère accord composed of oakmoss, lavender and tonka bean.
