The funeral of Irishwoman Danielle McLaughlin, who was found murdered at an Indian beach resort, has taken place in her hometown of Buncrana, Co Donegal.
In his homily, Fr Francis Bradley described her as "a cherished grand-daughter, a thoughtful sister, a loyal friend, a free spirit, a remarkable classmate and a gentle neighbour".
"We cannot allow the brevity of Danielle's life, or the malice which cut it short, to spoil her memory or impair her beauty", he said.
Friends and family members brought four symbols of Danielle's life to the altar: her guitar, her diary, a family photo and a holy bracelet from one of Mother Teresa's care homes in India.
Family and friends of the 28-year-old asked mourners to wear bright colours to "celebrate" her life.
Ms McLaughlin was travelling in Goa when she was killed earlier this month.
Her body was discovered in Canacona, a popular tourist area in the south of the Indian state.
Pupils from her old school in the town formed a guard of honour outside the church as the funeral procession arrived from her family home, followed by her grieving mother Andrea and four sisters
Ms McLaughlin's friends said, while they are heartbroken, they want to honour her "kind and vibrant" personality.
"We are obviously heartbroken at the loss of our very close friend, but we would like to honour her in the way she would have liked, not focusing on the horrors of the world and giving in to hate, but honouring kindness and expressing our love for Danielle."
Ms McLaughlin, who lived in Liverpool for a while as a student, was found dead in a secluded spot on 14 March.
A post-mortem examination later showed she had been sexually assaulted before being killed by blows to the head.
A 24-year-old man has been charged by Indian police who said he had confessed to the crime.
