Before Jedi Masters Tahl and Qui-Gon Jinn's arrival on New Apsolon, she worked in the tech industry. In addition to this, she ran a Worker newspaper, which wrote about change through peaceful protest. The paper was not illegal, but the Absolutes accused them of advocating violence, because they were afraid of the influence the newspaper might have over the other Workers. Irini was arrested and held prisoner for six months.
During this period she was tortured. One of the methods the Absolutes used to torture her was making her watch her fiancé (whom she should have married) suffer. Before freeing her, the Absolutes broke her right hand so that she wouldn't be able to work in the tech sector again. They didn't know, though, that Irini was left-handed, and thus had no problem in finding another job.
After she was released from prison, Irini joined a movement whose intent was sabotaging the goods that New Apsolon sold to the other planets. They did this in order to force the Civilized to negotiate better conditions for the Workers.
In 47 BBY Jedi Masters Tahl and Qui-Gon Jinn helped in giving the planet a democratic government.
After that, the Absolutes' headquarters were turned into a museum, and Irini was given a job as a tour guide there, as she had been once captive there. As most of the Absolutes had escaped after the birth of democracy, Irini became part of a group of Workers that wanted to bring them to justice.
In 41 BBY Qui-Gon Jinn returned to the planet with his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, looking for Tahl, who had gone missing. Irini recognized the Jedi and contacted her group, because she thought they had been summoned by Roan, the new Supreme Governor, whom she disliked.
She later helped the Master and the Padawan, helping them in finding a transport to look for Tahl.