Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny paid tribute to Nelson Mandel on Friday, saying that with his passing, "a great light has been extinguished."

"The name Mandela stirred our conscience and our hearts. It became synonymous with the pursuit of dignity and freedom across the globe," Kenny said.

Mandela, South Africa's former president and Nobel laureate, died at the age of 95, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

Dubbed as "tata" or "father" in his country, Mandela, who had spent 27 years in prison, was widely regarded as an anti-apartheid activist and South Africa's first black president after more than three centuries of white rule.

"The boy from the Transkei has finished his long walk. His journey transformed not just South Africa, but humanity itself," the Irish prime minister said.

"As we mark his passing, we give thanks for the gift of Nelson Mandela. We ask that his spirit continues to inspire, guide and enlighten us as we strive to bring freedom and dignity to the family of man, our brothers and sisters, across the world," he added.

Meanwhile, Eamon Gilmore, Irish deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs and trade, also paid tribute to Mandela.

"Nelson Mandela had a truly global presence. We all feel part of his extended worldwide family, sharing in the sadness at his death and the celebration of his life," Gilmore said.

"No few words can express the debt of gratitude that is due to Mr. Mandela for all that he achieved and stood for. Quite simply, he transformed South Africa, and he changed the world," he said.