Born in Belfast, but raised in the Free State/"Republic of Ireland",
and educated at the St. Louis Convent in County Monaghan.
Interred in Rahoon Cemetery, Galway (Ireland), where a nearby road is named in her honor.
Began her acting career in 1940 as a semi-professional at the Gaelic An Taibhdhearc Theatre in Galway. From 1944, frequently appeared in productions of the Abbey Theatre, and in 1947 made her London debut in "The White Steed".