The sister of a woman killed in her home in Co Meath has paid tribute to her as a "cheerful and optimistic person."
Ioana Mihaela, 30, who is originally from Romania, was discovered dead in her bed in an apartment in Riverwalk Court, Ratoath, Co Meath on Saturday evening.
Gardai are understood to be investigating whether she was murdered by a man known to her - who last night remained under arrest over her death.
READ MORE: Ratoath victim named locally as Romanian national who had only moved to town a week ago
And also speaking to this paper, Ioana’s grieving sister Tocoian Estera said what she and her family are going through is hell.
“You must realise it's very hard right now,” she said.
“We still don’t know exactly what happened.”
But she said she wanted to pay tribute to her sister, passing on a photo of her to this paper and describing her as a person who was full of life.
“She was such a cheerful and optimistic person,” she said.
Ms Estera said her sister worked in security and had been living in Ireland for the past three years.
In a social media post she added: “Smooth road to heaven, my beautiful sister, you left behind a huge pain.”
Her friend Roxana Devan also paid tribute on social media writing: “Oh good soul. You left among the living and we can’t stop crying."
The victim and her partner had only moved into her first-floor apartment in Riverwalk Court in Ratoath last weekend, locals said.
A man known to her, who is in his 30s, is currently under arrest and detained by gardai.
It is understood that gardai are investigating her death as a fatal assault, and a murder investigation is set to be launched.
Ms Mihaela only moved into the apartment in Ratoath a week ago, locals say.
And speaking at the scene local Councillor Gillian Toole said: “No more than everybody it was shock to actually see the message that residents sent me last night, and extreme sadness that a young person’s life with so much potential can come to such an abrupt end.
“I think we have to no more than the extreme sadness for this lady and her family but also neighbours here in River Wood and how they must be feeling.
“I have to say I didn’t know the couple and I just heard they only recently moved in in the last week or two.
“Why do things like this happen. This year just seems to be off the scale for violence.
“It’s just incomprehensible but I think we have to ask why."
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