One of the things I love about writing historical fiction it that I can take any part of history and twist it around to fit my stories.  

I first stumbled across tales of Ireland’s own Pirate Queen, Gráinne (or Granuaile) Ní Mháille when I was researching prominent families near Fir Manach.  I was looking for Clans that might have had contact with the Mag Uidhirs or who had an influence on the political situation during the mid 1500’s.  Gráinne’s life was so fascinating that I knew she would have to be a part of my story.

Born in 1530, on the West Coast of Ireland to a prominent seafaring Clan Chief, Gráinne learned to love the sea at a young age.  She was married by the age of 16 and, after having three children, found herself a widow by the age of 30.  Gráinne returned to her father’s land on Clare Island and took over his fleet of ships and his army of around 200 men.   It did not take long for her to establish a reputation as a sea power and political force to be reckoned with.

Gráinne lived a long life, full of love and hate, life and death, risk and compromise. Although women in 16th Century Ireland held much more power and responsibility than their English counterparts of the same time period, she was still a woman in a man’s world.  She managed to not only hold her own, she thrived.

My challenge has come in taking 73 amazing years of life and cramming them into my 20 year timeline.  Which brings me back to why I love writing fiction.  I took the events I wanted, changed some of the context and motivations and condensed them into my timeline.  I am continuing to weave them into the final book in the Fæ Prince of Fir Manach Series.  Historians may think they know why Sir Richard Bingham had it out for Gráinne and wanted to bring Ireland under English rule, but they might want to think again…