▁U lad h '), ▁was ▁an ▁academic ▁and ▁Professor ▁of ▁Irish ▁at ▁University ▁College ▁Dublin ▁( U CD ). ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁female ▁Irish - language ▁novel ist , ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁C umann ▁na ▁m B an , ▁and ▁fourth ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Cam og ie ▁Association . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁ 2 4 ▁June ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁in ▁R aff ony ▁House , ▁Virginia , ▁County ▁Cav an , ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁daughters ▁and ▁three ▁sons ▁of ▁Peter ▁Domin ic ▁Far rel ly ▁and ▁Ann ▁Far rel ly ▁( née ▁Sher idan ). ▁Her ▁first ▁published ▁work ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁sac char ine - s weet ▁articles ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lo - C elt ▁in ▁January – M arch ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁' G lim ps es ▁of ▁Bre ff ni ▁and ▁Me ath ' ▁appeared , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁editor , ▁Edward ▁O ' H an lon ▁encourag ed ▁her ▁to ▁study ▁literature . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁she ▁signed ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁" I r ish ▁F ires ide ▁Club ", ▁a ▁new ▁column ▁in ▁the ▁Week ly ▁Fre eman ▁edited ▁by ▁Rose ▁K avan agh , ▁sympt om atic ▁of ▁the ▁expand ing ▁field ▁of ▁children ' s ▁literature ▁during ▁the ▁fin ▁de ▁siècle . ▁This ▁club ▁bo asted ▁over ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁child ▁members ▁during ▁its ▁height , ▁and ▁facil itated ▁the ▁mass - indo