Career
One of two children of Michael Byrne of Newry, County Down, and Brigid Kelly of Garafine,Ballymacward, County Galway, she trained as a nurse in the city"s old Central Hospital and later worked as a staff-nurse at Galway Regional Hospital. She eventually became a Sister and worked in the Casualty Department for twenty-two years. She was the first woman ever to run for Fianna Fail in the West Galway Constituency in a General Election when she was selected as the running mate for Johnny Geoghegan and Bobby Molloy in the 1969 General Election.
She created history on June 30, 1975 when she became the first woman to be elected Mayor of the City of Galway.
Her first term of office coincided with International Women"s Year. She was re-elected for the term 1984-1985, the Quincentennial year of the Mayoralty.
In commemoration of this, Galway"s Quincentennial Bridge, spanning the River Corrib from Terryland to Newcastle, was begun. The foundation stone was laid by An Tánaiste, Dick Spring, on 15 December 1984.
The following May, she herself laid the foundation stone of the new City Hall at College Road, which was in use by 1991.
During a long career in public life she served on several Boards including Comhairle na n-Ospideal and the City of Galway VEC. She was Chairman of the Board of Galway Technical Institute up to the time of her death. She died January 16, 2004.