Woman who fell from bridge three days after wedding loses fight for life

A WOMAN who fell from a bridge on Sunday — just three days after her dream wedding — has died.

Caroline Cahalin (nee Farren) died when she lost her footing and fell at the Tul na Rí bridge in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, on Sunday evening.

She had been out socialising with friends just days after tying the knot with husband Tony at the Guildhall in Derry on Thursday last — her 40th birthday.

It is understood Caroline stumbled backwards and fell 20 feet off the bridge and onto an embankment at about 3am.

She suffered severe injuries and was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after 9am yesterday.

Last night, her cousin Sean Farren said Caroline’s family, including father Danny, mum Patricia and sister Jacqueline, were heartbroken. “It’s terrible tragedy to lose a daughter. She was a lovely, bubbly, happy- go-lucky girl,” he said.

The tragedy is the second to hit the Farren family in recent years.

In 2001, Sean’s recently married daughter Sinéad, 22, was killed when her car skidded off the road near Culdaff.

Meanwhile, gardaí are investigating the last moments of Caroline’s life and are still trying to piece together how she fell from the bridge.

Local county councillor Charlie McConalogue said the community was in shock after the accident which followed on so closely from Inishowen’s horrific car crash which claimed the lives of eight men on July 11.

“People just cannot believe this has happened — right in the middle of the town.

“It is just one of those freak accidents and our thoughts and prayers are with Caroline’s family and friends,” he said.

Caroline’s body was removed from the Chapel of Rest at Letterkenny General Hospital at 3pm yesterday and was taken to her father Danny’s home at Cashelcraw in Carndonagh.

She will be buried after funeral Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Carndonagh at 11am tomorrow.