Gaelic law gave Gráinne O'Malley nothing from two husbands, so she sailed to Elizabeth I and won a pension from her sons' lands

In 1546 Gráinne O'Malley married Dónal O'Flaherty, heir to his lordship. He was killed in a fight with the Joyces around 1564. Under Gaelic law she could not inherit O'Flaherty land. She kept his men and ships, went back to her own people and settled on Clare Island. In 1567 she married Richard Bourke. When he died in April 1583 she claimed her "third," the English widow's share, gathered her followers and a large herd, and moved into Carraigahowley in his territory. From 1584 Sir Richard Bingham governed Connacht. In 1585 he took her son Tibbot hostage for a year. Her son Eoghan was murdered in 1586. Her son Murrough sided with Bingham, and she burned his tower and took his cattle. In 1592 Bingham impounded her fleet. In 1593 Tibbot was charged with treason. She petitioned the queen, offering to "envade with sword and fire" her enemies in return for "some reasonable maintenance," and sailed to London. She was at the Greenwich court from June to September 1593 and answered eighteen written questions from Lord Burghley. Elizabeth recommended Tibbot's release and ordered a pension for her from taxes on her sons' estates. In 1595 the queen ordered her sons' lands regranted under English law. The last record of her is a galley reported in 1601. She probably died at Rockfleet around 1603. Tibbot became the 1st Viscount Mayo.