Mourners at the funeral Mass yesterday of Kilrush woman Anne Walsh (23) were told by her sister, Mary, that Ms Walsh "was a great sister and daughter".
"She should never have been taken. We are going to miss her so much - we all love her. She was as good. She never harmed anyone. She was an angel and should never have been taken away."
The large crowd also heard that Ms Walsh had lost her life just yards from the church where her funeral was taking place.
Last Wednesday night Ms Walsh's body was found in the grounds of St Senan's church in Kilrush, Co Clare.
A 23-year-old man has been charged in connection with her death.
Parish priest Fr Michael Sheedy told the large crowd: "We all need to ask why this happened and could something have been done to prevent it, and should something have been done?"
Fr Sheedy said Ms Walsh's death had left a huge emptiness in the hearts of her family.
"It is the death of an innocent life. Anne was so full of life. She always had time for others and she was very kind and very inoffensive.
"Anne's death has turned the world upside down for the Walsh family."
He said it was cruel that Ms Walsh would be taken from her family in this way.
She was due to go to Spain on holidays on Friday with her mother and brother Stephen.
"Anne had so much work to complete, so much to do and so much to give to people. We are devastated by her passing."
Her uncle, Martin, said: "It is a chilling fact that something like this would happen just yards from us here in the grounds of the church. It's horrific to think about it."
He told the congregation: "Can we be vigilant enough? People should look after each other and make sure that nothing like this would happen in a small close-knit community like this. Otherwise there can be horrific consequences.
"If people in general stopped turning a blind eye, the world would be a better place."
He also appealed for anyone to come forward with any information, no matter how trivial, that may help gardaí in their investigation into Ms Walsh's death.
Ms Walsh is survived by parents Anne and Stephen, brothers Stephen, Paul and Michael, and sister Mary.
She was laid to rest at All Saints cemetery at Shanakyle, Kilrush.
