Franks attended Alexandra College, Dublin, and having left school she returned home to care for her invalid father.
[1] Upon her return she found that the years of political upheaval had effected the UI, with just 8 branches left and less than a hundred members.
She focused all her energies on revitalising the organisation, with her main objective to make it as useful as possible to women, giving them practical skills to improve their lives.
In 1929, Muriel Gahan became involved in the show, and worked with Franks at the offices of the UI in 33 Molesworth Street, Dublin.
In 1936 at the triennial ACWW conference in Washington, Franks spoke about the functions and goals of the newly renamed UI, which has become the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) in 1935.
Ireland hosted the triennial ACWW conference in 1965, during which a garden house at An Grianán ICA college was dedicated to her memory.