The remains of an Irishwoman who was a passenger on the tragic Malaysian Airlines flight which was shot down over Ukraine have been identified.

Mother-of-two Edel Mahady had lived in Perth in Australia and was returning home from a visit to her mother in Dublin aboard flight MH17 when the horrific crash occurred.

It's understood Ms Mahady's sister Mary travelled to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to identify the body before making her way to Australia.

A family friend confirmed to the Irish Independent that the body will now be passed in to the possession of Ms Mahady's husband Dereck. A date for the funeral has yet to be confirmed but it's believed it will take place in Australia.

It is expected that there will be also be a mass in Ms Mahady's hometown of Palmerstown for her family members who live in Ireland.

"Her mother is very relieved that the body was found," said the friend.

Ms Mahady was an administrative assistant at the Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School in Perth.

Her relatives, originally from Lucan in Dublin, said they were overwhelmed by the sympathy shown by the public since the tragedy.

Her husband had been planning to fly to Europe on business and had suggested that the pair fly back together.

But Ms Mahady was eager to get back to work and so decided to travel home alone.

An Australian nun, Sister Philomena Tiernan, with "deep roots in Ireland" was also named among the dead in the MH17 disaster.

Irish Independent