Caroline Cahalin (40) suffered devastating head and back injuries when she fell backwards from a bridge and down an embankment in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, at around 3am last Sunday.

Just last Thursday, she marked her 40th birthday by marrying partner Tony Cahalin at the Guildhall in Derry and was continuing the celebrations with friends when the tragedy happened.

She had been sitting on the bridge known locally as the Tul na Ri bridge over a stream close by a nightclub of the same name when she appeared to have lost her balance and fell backwards landing on a hard surface below.

Caroline, whose maiden name was Farren, was rushed to Letterkerkenny General Hospital but despite desperate attempts to save her, she was pronounced dead yesterday morning, surrounded by her family and husband.

Yesterday, Sinead's father, Sean Farren, who is on holidays in Spain with his wife Magdalene, described the devastation of the family on hearing the news of the tragedy.

"It is a terrible tragedy to lose a daughter. Caroline was a lovely, bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl. It is worse than your worst nightmare come true," he said.

A garda source said yesterday that the death was under investigation but was being treated as a tragic accident. He said they were awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination.

"We are establishing all the circumstances surrounding the accident and will be looking at the results of the post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death," he said.