A 20-YEAR-OLD student nurse from Co Mayo who has died while in Turkey was on her first foreign holiday.
The victim, named locally as Mary Linnane (20), from Derrycorrib, Glencastle, Belmullet, died in the early hours of yesterday morning after suffering a fatal fall at an apartment in Kusadasi.
Police in Turkey are investigating the tragedy and the Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to the dead woman's family as well as liaising with her distressed holiday companions in Turkey.
Ms Linnane, a student nurse at Dublin City University, had travelled to the popular resort on Sunday with 11 friends from the Erris area. It was her first holiday abroad. Her parents, Martin, a former senior intercounty hurler with Galway, and Kathleen, and other family members, were being comforted at home yesterday.
One local woman who knew Ms Linnane well said yesterday that the community was "totally devastated" by what had happened.
"We have been walking around in a state of numbed shock since we heard the terrible news at half-six this morning."
After visiting the grief-stricken family yesterday, Erris-based county councillor Gerry Coyle said the community was heartbroken. "The Linnanes are deeply involved in the sporting and community life in Erris and are a very united and loving family," he said.
The dead woman was the second-eldest of a family of five girls and one boy.
Several dozen Irish people have died while abroad this year. Earlier this month, 23-year-old Irish soldier Aidan Holly died in Pamplona, northern Spain, before the start of the annual bull run.
In Australia last month, three Irish people were killed in two separate car crashes. Paul Duggan (25) and Diarmuid Aldun (24), both from Dublin, died when their car was in collision with a truck. Niamh Chawke (37), from Dooradoyle, Co Limerick, died when her car hit a tree in New South Wales.
An Irish couple from Co Kerry were killed in Alicante, Spain, in May, after they were hit by a car.