A DEVASTATED husband has penned a heartbreaking letter to his Limerick wife - who died two days after they wed last month.

Noel Byrne took to Facebook to share how he is living a "real-life nightmare" since the love of his life Kathy Casey passed away.

2 Noel and Kathy on their wedding day

Kathy, 29, died on January 16 after being diagnosed with cancer just three weeks previously.

The Limerick native was a teacher at Scoil an Linbh Iosa, Prosperous in Kildare, with her being remembered as an inspiration to her students.

Two days before her death, she and Noel wed in the Mater Private hospital in Dublin.

In a Facebook post, which has been shared over 1,800 times, Noel shared the letter which he read at tragic Kathy's funeral which was held in her native Ardagh.

Noel told of how brave Kathy was on their travels and said it was the "little things" he missed most.

He wrote: "I’m writing this in your bedroom in Ardagh, surrounded by everything that encapsulates your life over the past 29 years. A room the essence of you.

"We’ve been through so much since we first met in Mary I on the very first day of college in 2006. We’ve been to so many places, done so many things, and achieved so much, it’s hard to know where to begin.

"I think it’s the little things I’ll miss the most though: your 4 minute limit on boiling an egg, your obsession with silky labels, your love of the snooze button, your penchant for Tommy K, and your grá for a glass of Sauv Blanc, no ice.

2 The loved-up couple wed at the Mater Private hospital, where Kathy was being treated Credit: Patrick Cummins - The Sun Dublin

"You had no fears when it came to travelling, firm in the belief that it broadens the mind. We ended up in some odd situations on our holidays, often seeking out something different.

"When I’d suggest yet another random activity, you were sometimes not so keen but you always said yes - you’d take the risk, accept the challenge. It probably helped too that I’d sell it by promising plenty of beach time.

"From sleeping under the stars in the Sahara Desert, and waking up covered in sand, walking along a plank on a cliffside 7,000 feet in the air in central China and even those 5 ever so surreal days we spent in North Korea, where may I add, you frequently asked questions you probably shouldn’t in such a country, we saw much of the world together in a unique way, and we had plans for so much more. Our Scratch Map now left unscratched."

Noel echoed the opinions of those who knew Kathy as a teacher.

The smile on your face as you walked into the Oratory in the Mater Private in your Jenny Packham dress with your mink nail polish - your radiance, your beauty - it’s everything I’d hoped for and more. The love was never stronger, the joy palpable. It’s a moment that will never be forgotten. Noel

He added: "Your passion for teaching and the energy you brought to Prosperous was inspirational. You had such love for Scoil an Linbh Iosa, its staff and students.

"I’ve been told you were the heart of the school, that you brought such positivity and a unique perspective to it - in the classroom and the staff room, from your school plays, to your dancing, the basketball court and the hurling field."

The couple had mapped out their future together, even having names picked for three kids they had planned to have together, with one of the first milestones to be their wedding on August 3 of this year.

But, sadly, it was one of their last.

Noel said: "The plans we had for the future - a house in a Naas, three kids - Keegan, Kelly and Casey - the name we knew people would question.

"They’d support Limerick in the hurling, Mayo in the football. Before any of that though, our planned wedding on August 3rd - for 2018 was meant to be the year we got married.

"Last Sunday, on the eve of our 11th anniversary and seven months ahead of time, we fulfilled our wish."

In what would be one of their last days together, the events of their wedding day was something neither of them could have imagined.

He said: "We always wanted a wedding a little different, but neither of us could have imagined what unfolded.

"Last Saturday, from the moment we decided to kick off a chain of events that would go on to include high court judges and government ministers, you were beaming.

"As adrenaline and euphoria kicked in, the illness took a backseat and wedding planner Kathy kicked in - handing out orders left and right - like normal really.

"The smile on your face as you walked into the Oratory in the Mater Private in your Jenny Packham dress with your mink nail polish - your radiance, your beauty - it’s everything I’d hoped for and more. The love was never stronger, the joy palpable. It’s a moment that will never be forgotten.

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"You held out long enough to get that walk down the aisle, the moment of “I do”, the matrimonial kiss."

Noel ended his heartbreaking letter by saying: "You’re my travel companion, my jiving partner, my secret keeper, my best friend, my wife.

"I love you, pretty lady, always have, always will."