BORN in Grange, my home nestles under the foot of Benbulben. I have four sisters and my parents owned a small grocery business and the farming community was our main customer base. I was introduced to dealing with the public as soon as I could barely look across the shop counter and it was a wonderful experience at a very early age.

After secondary school at the Convent of Mercy, Sligo, I worked as a telephonist with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in a number of provincial towns, finally returning to Sligo and met my future husband Hugh.