Sister Teresa Egan (72), who was killed in an attack on a church over the weekend on the tiny Caribbean island of St Lucia, was described yesterday as a "cheerful and committed" woman by her colleagues.
From Clonaslee, Co Laois, she had been a member of the Order of St Joseph of Cluny for about 50 years, working mainly as a primary teacher and eventually becoming a school principal.
She came from a religious family: seven of the nine children joined orders. She is survived by three elderly sisters, all Presentation nuns, and at least one brother.
Her relatives were informed yesterday of the circumstances of her death. She had visited them only last summer.
Another Irish nun, Sister Mel Kenny from Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly, was slightly injured in the same attack.
When it took place Sister Egan was serving communion at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the capital, Castries. According to local police the attack was carried out by a group of men, dressed in traditional rastafarian clothes, who claimed to be opposed to the island's main churches.
They entered just before communion, which Sister Egan was preparing to distribute. They slashed worshippers, including Sister Egan, with machetes, and then doused them in kerosene. One attacker used a blowtorch. Sister Egan was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Prime Minister of St Lucia, Dr Kenny Anthony, said the attackers were "sick and demonic."
"It was like a scene from hell," said Mr Cletus Springer, a worshipper and local newspaper columnist, who witnessed the incident.
"I looked up and saw flames. I saw four men methodically going around setting people on fire, chopping people."
The former British colony was yesterday in mourning. Radio stations cancelled normal programming in favour of spiritual music.
Sister Egan had many friends and colleagues here and returned to Ireland every three to four years. Sister Maeve Guinan, the order's provincial superior, who often met her, said she had a great sense of humour and was "always in a jolly mood."
She was very committed to her work in St Lucia and spoke proudly about the achievements of the children in her classes, Sister Guinan added.
Sister Egan trained as a nun at the order's convent in Ferbane, Co Offaly, and left Ireland in her early 20s. She spent the first 20 years on the missions, working for long periods in the West Indies, including Grenada.
She said that was what made the attack to surprising and awful. "She was very happy there and you could see from her she lived a peaceful and fulfilling life."
She will be buried in St Lucia on Saturday. A mass for her family took place in Clonaslee last night.