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Career
In the 1880s, Brayton began her career as a poet, writing poetry for both national and provincial Irish newspapers, including Young Ireland and the King’s County Chronicle. Brayton used the pseudonym “T. B. Kilbrook” while contributing to these papers.

Brayton continued writing under the pseudonym until moving to America, where she became an acclaimed writer and continued to contribute to papers including Boston Pilot, New York Monitor and Rosary Magazine. Her target audience was the Irish immigrant population of America. After establishing herself she released her poetry in collections including:


 * Songs of Dawn (1913)
 * The flame of Ireland (1926)

Teresa made return trips to Ireland regularly and developed a passionate relationship with nationalist peers, and the leaders of the 1916 rising. Upon returning to America, Brayton became an activist for the Irish Republic and participated in organising the distribution of information to the Irish population through pamphlets and public speaking. Her contribution was acknowledged by Countess Markievicz. Her patriotism to Ireland admitted her to the Celtic Fellowship in America, where she shared her poetry at events.

Brayton’s best-known poem is “The Old Bog Road”, which was later set to music by Madeline King O'Farrelly. It has since been recorded and released by many Irish musicians including Finbar Furey, Daniel O’Donnell and Eileen Donaghy, among many others. Many more of Teresa best-known ballads include, “The cuckoo's call”, “By the old fireside” and “Takin’ tea in Reilly's”.

Teresa made her permanent return to Ireland after the death of her husband in 1932 and continued her career journalist writing for Irish newspapers and published religious poetry in the volume “Christmas verses” in 1934. A short story called “The new lodger” written by Brayton was published by the Catholic Trust Society in 1933. Brayton dedicated much of her work to the exiled Irish living in America, incorporating themes of nostalgia, the familiarity of home and religion throughout her poetry.