Hundreds of mourners turned out to bid goodbye to Caroline Cahalin who fell to her death just four days after she was married.

Her husband, now widow, Tony fought back his grief as he buried his wife in the small town of Carndonagh, County Donegal. The town stood silent as the funeral cortege made its way to the Church with Tony as one of the pallbearers.  Caroline’s friends and family were there to support him including Caroline’s father, Danny, mother, Patricia and her sister Jacqueline.

Fr Con McLaughlin presided over the funeral. He said that those grieving should look to their faith for solace. He also referred to the modern statistic that show people are living longer as the Inishowen peninsula of Donegal had just suffered the loss of eight men in the largest car crash in the Irish State’s history.

He said “I hear how life expectancy has increased so much. But I can understand how people are beginning to doubt that statistic as we gather here today.

“Caroline had so much to live for and so had Tony — her new husband. But all that has been taken from them.

“Indeed, the list (of young people dying) lengthens every day. All we hear is another cross on the shoulders of another family and another burden.

“When we are bereaved, the pain is all the greater and our faith is tested. It takes time and that is the response of our faith — being able to accept what has happened.

“When it happens to someone so relatively young like Caroline, it is so much more hurtful. But we must try and make our way through it.”

Caroline died having fallen down a 20 foot embankment outside a nightclub in her home time. She was worked on at the scene by paramedics and then brought to Letterkenny General Hospital where she died. Fr McLaughlin also made reference to those who helped to try to save her.

He said “We pray for these people and the work they do and all they tried to do to save Caroline.”