ctr ination ▁of ▁a ▁generation ▁of ▁Irish ▁children ▁into ▁the ▁cultural ▁national ist ▁movement . ▁She ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁most ▁vocal ▁female ▁within ▁this ▁club , ▁which ▁m ould ed ▁her ▁u top ian , ▁femin ist ▁and ▁national ist ▁thought ▁throughout ▁ad ul th ood . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁career ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁she ▁became ▁finan cially ▁independent , ▁she ▁en rolled ▁in ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁University ▁College , ▁Dublin , ▁and ▁she ▁d uly ▁convinced ▁her ▁College ▁Princi pal ▁to ▁en list ▁the ▁College ' s ▁first ▁ever ▁Irish ▁language ▁lect urer ▁so ▁that ▁she ▁could ▁study ▁the ▁language ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁her ▁Arts ▁D eg ree . ▁E oin ▁Mac Ne ill , ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁G ael ic ▁League , ▁the ▁main ▁cultural ▁national ist ▁body ▁in ▁operation ▁in ▁Ireland ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁and ▁a ▁class ▁was ▁set ▁up , ▁with ▁Far rel ly ▁( or ▁O ' F ar rel ly ▁as ▁she ▁then ▁became ▁known ) ▁encourag ing ▁young ▁women ▁from ▁other ▁Women ' s ▁Colleg es ▁in ▁Dublin ▁to ▁attend . ▁ ▁Through ▁this ▁initi ative , ▁a ▁core ▁group ▁of ▁middle - class ▁and ▁educated ▁female ▁cultural ▁national ists ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁capital ▁city , ▁including ▁M á ire ▁N í ▁Ch inn é ide ▁and ▁Mary ▁E . L . ▁Butler , ▁who , ▁like ▁O ' F ar rel ly , ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁play ▁major ▁roles