Gardaí have confirmed that a 68-year-old nun who was found dead in the grounds of a convent in Monaghan was murdered.
She has been named as Sister Philomena Lyons from Mallow in County Cork. She was member of the Sacred Heart order at St Joseph's convent in Ballybay.
A postmortem examination has found that she was strangled and sexually assaulted.
Sister Lyons was due at a friend's 100th birthday party in Dublin.
She was found dead outside the convent last night.
The sister's handbag was found in the grounds of the convent and her body some distance away.
Other nuns raised the alarm when the popular former teacher failed to catch a bus to meet friends and colleagues for the celebration in Dublin.
The body was taken to Cavan General Hospital where a post-mortem examination was carried out by assistant state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.
A Garda spokesman said a murder hunt had been launched.
He said: "The death was due to strangulation. It was also confirmed that the deceased was sexually assaulted."
Residents of the small town where she was well-known told of their shock while former pupils paid tribute to her.
Marie McNally (14) whom Sister Philomena taught when she was aged between eight and 10, said: "She taught me for three years and she was a lovely teacher. She just gave her life to helping people.
"There was no-one here that she didn't get on with. No-one can understand how this has happened or who would have done it. She was known right throughout the town. We are all going to miss her."
