▁Irish ▁writer ▁and ▁teacher , ▁who ▁wrote ▁three ▁books ▁drawing ▁on ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁rural ▁Ul ster ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁in ▁the ▁K aily ard ▁school ▁genre . ▁ ▁Life ▁L yd ia ▁Mary ▁F oster ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁in ▁New m ills , ▁County ▁T yr one . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁children ▁of ▁Pres by ter ian ▁minister ▁of ▁New m ills ▁con greg ation , ▁James ▁F oster , ▁and ▁L yd ia ▁( née ▁H ark ness ). ▁F oster ▁had ▁three ▁brothers ▁and ▁two ▁sister s . ▁She ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁home ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁sent ▁to ▁board ▁at ▁Miss ▁Black ' s ▁school ▁in ▁Holy wood , ▁County ▁Down . ▁F oster , ▁with ▁her ▁sister s ▁Jane ▁and ▁B ess ie , ▁moved ▁to ▁B elf ast ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁girls ' ▁school , the ▁Lad ies ' ▁Colleg iate ▁School , ▁in ▁the ▁Bal m oral ▁sub ur bs , ▁first ▁at ▁My rt le field ▁Park , ▁at ▁ 4 3 4 ▁Lis burn ▁Road , ▁and ▁then ▁in ▁Mary field ▁Park . ▁This ▁was ▁after ▁B ess ie ▁had ▁graduated ▁from ▁Tr inity ▁College ▁Dublin ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁having ▁studied ▁modern ▁languages . ▁Their ▁school ▁taught ▁boys ▁and ▁girls , ▁both ▁day ▁pup ils ▁and ▁board ers . ▁F oster ▁and ▁Jane ▁taught ▁music , ▁and ▁possibly ▁other ▁subjects ▁as ▁well