She also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Munster constituency from 1979 to 1981 and as a Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 1969 to 1973.

[1] She was born in Kinsale, County Cork, her father was a postman and part-time fisherman, who went blind when she was aged eleven,[2] her mother was the local seamstress.

She was educated locally at the Convent of Mercy in Kinsale, where she was one of only two girls in her class to sit the Leaving Certificate examination.

[3] Her victory in the Cork Mid constituency led Taoiseach Seán Lemass to dissolve the 17th Dáil, before she could assume her seat, and call a general election.

However, her time in Europe was short-lived, as she returned to domestic politics when she was offered a position as Minister and the chance to impact national legislation.