The violent death of Frances Ralph, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a taxi in Naas last week, affronted the values of love and friendship for which she stood, mourners at her funeral yesterday were told.
The way in which Ms Ralph had been "ripped from her life" had thrown her family into a nightmare it was struggling to deal with, her brother Jody Greene said.
Her family had reacted to the tragic death of the 45-year-old woman with "shock, disbelief, injustice and anger", said Mr Greene.
Several thousand people, mostly neighbours, work colleagues and friends from Naas and Sallins, filled the Church of Our Lady and St David to overflowing for yesterday's funeral.
The mourners were led by her husband Michael, who was with his wife when the stabbing occurred, their three sons Daire, Niall and Emmett, her mother Beatrice, as well as brother, sisters and members of the extended family.
The congregation heard Mr Greene describe his sister "Frannie" as "a wonderful person with a generosity of spirit and love that was infectious".
"She had great friends, who greatly cherished her friendship. She enriched the lives of all those who knew her."
Ms Ralph was "a brilliant multitasker" who, as the mother of three boys in a house full of males, held "a master's degree in diplomacy and conflict resolution", he said.
He recalled her love of socialising with family and friends. "She loved a sing-song, and she was particularly adept at prompting Michael to hold a note for a few milliseconds longer so she could feed him the next line of the tune.
"We will remember her for all the right reasons and her spirit will burn brightly in the difficult times ahead," he said.
Mr Greene expressed appreciation on behalf of the family for the "overwhelming kindness and generosity" shown by neighbours, colleagues and gardaí over the past week.
The parish priest of Sallins, Fr Tom McDonnell, said there were many parallels between Ms Ralph's death and that of Brother Roger, the 90-year-old founder of the Taizé community in France, who was also stabbed to death last week.
Both had "a wonderful effect on people", he said, and lived according to the maxim, "Love, and say it with your life".
Ms Ralph was "a force for good" among her neighbours and the wider community, and in this we could find some cause for hope, Fr McDonnell said.
During the service, musicians sang hymns and other songs, including Sting's Fields of Gold, while family members brought a number of items cherished by Ms Ralph to the altar. These included her wedding album, a card sent to her by her mother, a photograph of her three sons and a Sallins GAA club jersey.
