A dressmaker by profession, Mary was married to Jack and had six children, Margaret, Gerard, Thomas, Martina, John and Therese. She was a member of the well-known Cleary family from The Downs. Her brothers Tosh and Noel starred for the black and ambers in the 1960s and 1970s, while her nephew Tommy was man of the match when Westmeath defeated Derry in the 1995 All-Ireland minor football final.