New Grace O’Malley Festival a welcome celebration in Mayo

THE Grace O’Malley Festival launches this May 22-24 in her homeland on the Mayo coast.

At a time when Grace O’Malley’s life is attracting global attention, with Hollywood films and rumoured Netflix documentaries in development, the festival roots the Pirate Queen in place and authenticity.

Festival director Dea Birkett sees Grace as urgently relevant today.

“Grace wasn’t some wispy long haired goddess. She was a real woman fighting for her family and her country, just as so many women now,” she says. “She shouldn’t be celebrated as a legendary beauty, but for her courage, her ferocity and her determined fight for freedom.

“We can’t all aspire to be goddesses, but we can look to Granauile. Women today can follow in her wake.”

This spirit runs through the Grace O’Malley Festival, which blends astounding circus, live music, giant outdoor art, lively talks, family workshops and entrancing storytelling. Festival highlights include the commission of a beach-sized sand art portrait of Grace O’Malley by artist Sean Corcoran, concert by renowned Irish singer Camille O’Sullivan, and evening Pirate Queen Cabaret - a bold and irreverent show inspired by Grace’s life.

At the heart of the festival is Circus250’s spectacular aerial circus show Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen, with original music and live storytelling. This all-female international production features performers from Ireland, Brazil, Italy and Russia whose own lives reflect migration, resilience and determination.

The festival isn’t just about honouring the past, but looking forward to a better future.

As Grace O’Malley’s story finds new global audiences, the Grace O’Malley Festival anchors her legacy where it began on the west coast of Ireland, among women who continue to tell their stories and fight for what matters.

The Grace O’Malley Festival run from May 22 to 24 in Achill Island and Westport.

View the highlights programme here (full programme coming soon).