Career
She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Tipperary constituency at the 1944 general election. Her husband Martin Ryan was a Territorial Decoration for the same constituency from 1933 until his death in 1943. After boundary changes, she was returned at the 1948 general election for Tipperary North, and re-elected at the 1951, 1954 and 1957 general elections.