President Michael D Higgins has led tributes to Vicky Phelan, who he said made an "enormous contribution" to Irish society thanks to her "tireless efforts".
Ms Phelan, a cervical cancer campaigner, died in the early hours of this morning at Milford Hospice in Limerick.
In a statement, President Higgins said anyone who had the privilege of meeting Ms Phelan would have been struck by the "powerful inner strength and dignity" with which she faced her illness.
"Vicky, in all of this, made an enormous contribution to Irish society," he said.
"Thanks to her tireless efforts, despite the terrible personal toll she herself had to carry, so many women's lives have been protected, and will be protected in the future.
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"She will be deeply missed, by all of those who were in awe of her courage, her resilience, offered not only to women but to all of us in Ireland."
President Higgins expressed his condolences to Ms Phelan's husband, children, family and friends.
Statement by President Higgins on the death of Vicky Phelan https://t.co/Zg7Sw41apQ pic.twitter.com/G4v7EsG3Dx
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) November 14, 2022
Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid tribute to Ms Phelan, calling her a woman of "extraordinary courage and integrity".
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Martin said that she was a woman "who stood up for the women of Ireland, but not just the women of Ireland but women globally".
He said: "To her husband and family, we extend our deepest sympathies. In the history of this country, I think her actions, particularly in not signing a confidentiality agreement at that particular time outside the steps of the High Court, will live long in the memory as an example of someone who stood up against the system and the normal conventions."
"She stood up for the public interest," he added, describing her contribution to public life as "enormous."
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Ireland had "lost a woman of limitless courage, compassion and strength".
He described Ms Phelan as a "shining example of the power of the human spirit" and said her fight to uncover the truth and the courage with which she faced her illness "made her an inspiration to us all".
Ms Phelan's friend, former Labour leader and minister for health Alan Kelly, said she was "the most incredible human being I've ever met", adding that the news of her death was "devastating".
Speaking on the same programme, Mr Kelly said: "I suppose what's really shocking is Vicky always fought back. She was the most resilient person I've ever met. In your heart you always knew this day would come but it's still a shock because she always rebounded.
"She had some strength, she was amazing … people will never know the amount of time she gave to people coming to her for help," he said.
"She was a friend."
He added: "My condolences to all the Phelan family and her wide range of friends", and said he was thinking particularly of fellow campaigners Lorraine Walsh and Stephen Teap.
'I think she was a woman of extraordinary courage and integrity who stood up for the women of Ireland' Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD pays tribute to cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan, who died in the early hours of this morning | https://t.co/cHaA8Jvgpd pic.twitter.com/8jDyXDZ5Dg
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 14, 2022
Members of the 221+ cervical cancer support group said they are "shattered" at the news of Ms Phelan's death.
"She told us this day would come but she fought so hard and so well that we couldn't let ourselves think it would happen. Our hearts go out to Jim, Amelia and Darragh and to Vicky’s Mam and Dad, her sisters and brothers and her extended family."
"Our pain is suffocating just now but it is nothing compared to their loss," the group said in a statement.
It said that Ms Phelan had raised her voice in 2018 because she wanted those in power, those with responsibility to learn from their mistakes.
"Let those words be her legacy. Cervical screening saves lives. It failed Vicky in life. In her memory those with responsibility must ensure that it never fails others."
Solicitor Cian O'Carroll, who represented Ms Phelan in her High Court case in 2018, said she "never stopped", saying "truth and honesty were the most important thing" for her.
Mr O'Carroll said: "Truth and honesty were the most important thing. She explained so many times how she found the evidence in her own records that there was a mistake made in her care, and the misreporting of her test was kept from her," he said.
"She didn't accept attempts to gag her, she was determined she was going to fight her case in court if they weren't going to deal with her reasonably, and that nobody was going to hush her up on this, because she knew others were affected.
"That then led on to one campaign after another to ensure that other people found out the truth about what happened to them," he added.
"She fought for all that while she was fighting for her own life, to extend her life so that she could give the love and support to her family and receive their love and support in return.
"And that's why I think people warmed to her. People had a sense she was sincere and she was honest and brave, and truth and honesty were so important to her."
Speaking to RTÉ's Six One News, Mr O'Carroll said Ms Phelan was determined that nothing would be swept under the carpet.
"She was very clear that, whatever happened, this was going to result in lifting the lid on whatever was going on in CervicalCheck," he said.
"She knew other women were affected and she was determined right from the first meeting that there would never be a sweeping under the carpet or a confidentiality agreement consented to in this case, which was very unusual because you wouldn't normally have a confidentiality agreement in any event, but she had this sense that it was going to become an issue and it did become an issue."
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly expressed his condolences to Ms Phelan's family.
"Vicky leaves a legacy of enormous and enduring impact which has touched the lives of many people, in particular women and families affected by cervical cancer," the minister said.
"My thoughts are with Vicky's family and many friends on this sad day."
Ní Bheidh A Leithéid Ann Arís. Vicky Phelan, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Champion of Women, Campaigner who took on the State and won. Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/kxBf2hcgzf
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) November 14, 2022
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that Vicky Phelan was "truly impressive on every level".
Speaking to RTÉ's Drivetime, Ms McDonald said: "I know people across the country are absolutely heartbroken at the loss of Vicky and our thoughts are with Jim, Amelia and Darragh and the wider family and her friends and everybody who knew and loved her.
"Because what was a terrible loss for a woman so young, so full of life, so able, so courageous to be robbed of her life is, you know, I don't have words to describe the awfulness of it."
Ms McDonald said she met Ms Phelan many times and always found her to be "purposeful".
"Every conversation I ever had with Vicky was a purposeful one. It would be about advancing her cause, advancing the cause of the other women, for whom I know she was more than a figurehead.
"She was a friend, a leader, a pace setter and a comfort to so many of them.
"Those who had the privilege of meeting or knowing or even a little bit as I did, couldn't but have been struck. by the fact that she really was exceptional."
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said today is "an utterly heartbreaking day".
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, he said Vicky Phelan "transformed this country and will continue to do so".
"Today the country has lost an incredible advocate and an incredible person," he said.
"And in many ways, those of us who knew Vicky and knew how sick she was knew that this day would always come, but it's still very shocking when it does actually arrive."
He said that she "genuinely, has changed the country for the better".
"There are things that have happened in Ireland that would not have happened were it not for Vicky Phelan; the Scally Report being one, the new women's health taskforce, new drugs like Pembro, so much has happened because of her".
Orla O'Connor of the National Women's Council of Ireland described the cervical cancer campaigner's death as "incredibly sad", saying she meant "so much to us all".
Writing on Twitter, she said: "Such incredibly sad news - there aren't enough words to describe the loss of Vicky Phelan, sincerest sympathies to Vicky's family and friends, Vicky meant so much to us all and we have so much to thank her for all she did for women in Ireland."
Former RTÉ broadcaster Charlie Bird, a friend of Ms Phelan, said his "hero is gone".
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said Ms Phelan had been his hero since he met her, calling her his "lifeline" in dealing with a terminal illness.
"When I went to meet her at her home in Limerick, it turned out as if I was meeting an old pal. Almost for the past year, Vicky has been my lifeline to keep fighting my terminal illness.
"Today we have all lost a national hero and one of the most incredible human beings. My sympathies go out to her family, but also to all the women of Ireland who have lost a champion to their causes.
"Vicky Phelan will be close to my heart as long as I am alive. We have all lost an incredible friend."
My heart is broken just hearing about the passing of Vicky Phelan .
— Charlie Bird (@charliebird49) November 14, 2022
Over the past year she gave me great support to keep fighting my terminal illness.
This whole country should be in mourning at the passing of this remarkable human being. My heart is broken. My hero is gone.
John Wall, a cancer campaigner and close friend to Vicky Phelan said Ireland has lost an amazing person, a mother, a wife and a friend.
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he described her as "an extraordinary human being that fought beyond belief to live" and said she was an amazing friend.
"We talked, we laughed, we cried. We shared life experiences together and it's something I'll treasure for the rest of my days and I'm very very fortunate and privileged to have Vicky Phelan in my life and to call her my best friend."
Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said Ms Phelan "refused to be silent" adding that the nation is "truly richer" for the contribution she made to Irish life.
"Today it is no small understatement to say we are poorer for the loss of Vicky Phelan, but truly richer as a nation for the contribution she so generously made to Irish life," Ms Power said.
"Vicky refused to be silent in the face of great personal challenge and the issues she brought to light changed the course of history for women in Ireland.
"Without her courage and her determination, others would not have known the truth behind the CervicalCheck failings."
Ms Power said Ms Phelan was "also an incredibly warm and kind person" and was "always at the end of the phone for cancer patients giving other people hope and a listening ear when they needed it most".
The Irish Patients' Association said it is saddened by the death of Ms Phelan, describing her as a "woman, mother, friend, and a warrior patient advocate who fearlessly upheld patients' rights and spoke truth to power".
