The Pirate Queen - a girl you'd want to look up to

Chewy and I went to see the Pirate Queen on Broadway.... Actually, until we got to the theater, I wasn't sure WHAT we were going to see. It was a surprise to celebrate our anniversary. It was a great show - kind of intense, but then, so was the subject matter.

Grace O'Malley was known in the 15th century as the Pirate Queen. She nearly bankrupted the British Empire with her sacking of Queen Elizabeth's armada. Finally, in a historic and unprecedented move, the Virgin Queen and the Pirate Queen met face to face to hash out England's annexing of Ireland as a vassal and the terms of that surrender.

It's an exciting and breathtaking piece of history, nearly unheard of in the West, and probably not much talked about in England. But the play started me off on a path to learning more about Grace O'Malley and I have to say, she was really a heroine. Not a Tolkienesque heroine, with faeries and goblins and magicks at hand - but from guts, courage and bravery, she achieved in a Man's world, what no other man was able to do.

I don't feel any connection to her struggles, and to me she's not that kind of a hero. But she was *damn* cool and I loved the play, especially since its based on truth.

Thanks, Chewy!