Born in Sligo, she competed in international athletics at a young age, running in the junior race at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 3000 metres at the inaugural IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics when she was sixteen years old. After meeting American coach Ray Treacy in Ireland, he offered her a scholarship to attend university in the United States. She went on to study social sciences at Providence College and represented their college athletics team, the Providence Friars. In her first year in 2001–2002, she ran a personal best for fifth in the 5000 metres at the Big East Championships, won the 3000 m at the Penn Relays and competed at the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship. She improved the following year: a fourth place in the regional competition and a 28th-place finish at the NCAA National Cross Country Championship earned her All-American honours. In indoor competitions, she took third in the 3000 m and fourth in the distance medley relay. She took fourth in the 5000 m NCAA regionals with a personal best of 15:56.96 and finished in fifth at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, gaining her second All-American honours of the season.