The family moved to Newchwang, southern Manchuria in 1893, where they took in refugees from the Sino-Japanese war in 1894. During this time, Daly travelled around China extensively, witnessing the run up to the Boxer Rebellion and the Russo-Japanese War, escaping the country with her children during both of those conflicts. Her husband was recalled to Ireland in 1910 to aid in the treatment of those suffering from the pneumonic plague.