Sister Teresa McKeon, originally from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was one of the ten recipients of the awards - which also included Republic of Ireland and Everton captain Seamus Coleman - who live abroad and have done some service for Ireland or for the community they live in.
The now 95-year-old is a member of the St Joseph of Cluny congregation and arrived in Sierra Leone by ocean liner in 1954, having just obtained her teaching degree in UCD.
Sr Teresa was a teacher and then principal of a secondary school in the country's capital, Freetown, for two decades before she was forced to move to Guinea during the country's civil war.
However, she continued her work while sheltering from the war in Guinea.
She helped refugees from Sierra Leone living in camps along the border between the two countries, with a focus on supporting women and children by teaching enterprise and literacy skills.
After the war, Sr Teresa returned to Sierra Leone and continued to work in primary, junior and secondary education.
She also established and taught adult education courses in the areas of business, financial management, nutrition, catering and tailoring.
Her work helped thousands of women and men gain jobs and opportunities in an often-challenging economic environment.
In 2017, Sr Teresa received the Order of the Rokel from the President of Sierra Leone for her "dedicated and meritorious service to the state in the fields of education and the development of women".
The award ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin was attended by Sr Angela Bangura on behalf of Sr Teresa.
"She will be 96 in November, so she is unable to travel," Sr Angela said.
She added that Sr Teresa is a "selfless" person and it was great for her to know Ireland remembered her "for the work she has done there".
"It is a real dedicated life and testament to the Irish abroad who have given their all for all of us and I have benefitted from that because I went to the schools run by Irish sisters and today, I am a nun because of them."
Sr Angela brought the award back to Freetown and on St Brigid’s Day a special ceremony was held by the Irish Ambassador Aidan Fitzpatrick where, surrounded by children, former pupils, friends and fellow Cluny sisters, Sr Teresa was honoured in style.
"Sometimes when you talk to her, I say 'why did you stay?' she says, 'I am staying for the people'," Sr Angela said.
She added: "She is an amazing woman. She came to Sierra Leone in her 20s…she came even before independence and things have not been easy because there was war time, Ebola, so many natural calamities that have befallen the country.
"But she has stayed on, and she has worked with people right through."