A terminally-ill mum who was given special permission to marry the love of her life during the coronavirus lockdown has died.
Samantha Byrne née Gamble, of County Down, was granted permission by Northern Ireland's devolved government to marry partner of 12 years Frankie Byrne.
The couple, who share three children, had planned to marry in Banbridge registry office on May 29 but restrictions meant all weddings were put on hold.
However, an exception was made and a garden ceremony consisting of six was allowed, and was live streamed to close family on May 22.
Stormont's First Minister Arlene Foster said she didn't believe anyone "could have failed to be touched by the couple", from Loughbrickland.
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Their family had lobbied the government with Mrs Foster and deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill agreeing to allow ceremonies involving a terminally ill person.
Mrs Byrne passed away on Sunday in the Southern Area Hospice just three months on from the wedding
The brave bride got engaged two years ago, just months before her initial cancer diagnosis.
In July last year she learned her cancer had spread to her lungs and was terminal.
Then in early May, Mrs Byrne was rushed to City Hospital in excruciating pain and discovered the disease had spread to her head and neck, reports the Belfast Telegraph.
Mr Byrne, along with daughter Jessica and her cousin Vivienne, set about persuading the government to allow his wife her dying wish.
The wedding ceremony was held in the couple's garden in front of Jessica and son Stephen, as well as Mr Byrne's best man Kevin McGuinness.
With Mrs Byrne wearing a pink dress picked out by Jessica while she was stabilising in hospital, Frankie placed his late mum Peggy's wedding ring on her finger.
Before her wedding, the bride had said: "Life has thrown many challenges at us, but love has remained throughout.
"And if anything, it has made that love stronger. It means so much to be Frankie's wife. It just means the world that I can say 'that's my husband' and that we are together, through everything.
"I can't wait to be Mrs Byrne."
