Claire Kavanagh (33), from Carrick-on-Suir, died in a two-car collision that on N24 at Kilsheelan, around 10pm on Friday.
Her husband Anthony Phelan, who she only married last year, suffered serious, non-life-threatening leg injuries in the crash and was taken to Waterford University Hospital.
The couple were on their way from Clonmel to Carrick-on-Suir when their vehicle was in a collision with another car coming from the opposite direction.
The other car was being driven by a male teenager who was hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries. Also in the vehicle were a male and female passenger, both in their teens.
The death has devastated the town of Carrick-on-Suir and the wider locality in Tipperary.
Ms Kavanagh and Mr Phelan have a toddler son and were expecting their second child later this year.
They were due to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in two weeks.
Hayley Kavanagh Walsh, Claire’s cousin and best friend, described the mother-of-one on social media as her “sweet sweet angel” who she said will be “the brightest star in the sky.”
“You see these articles all the time and never think it’s going to be one of your own you’re reading about. I love you forever Claire, give me and our family the strength we need to get through this,” she wrote.
Local councillor Kieran Bourke who knew Ms Kavanagh – since she was a child as she was a close friend of his daughter – said the entire town was devastated to hear of her death.
“She was a lovely kid. She used to come down to my house while growing up when she was a little kid. I was there at her Communion and Confirmation because she made it with my daughter,” he said.
“She comes from a fantastic family and was a fantastic mother to her little boy. It’s just a huge loss not only to her family and husband but a huge loss to the town as well.”
He said he got a call at 1am on Saturday hearing the devastating news.
Cllr Bourke said he had his own experience of the devastation on Irish roads after his daughter Valerie suffered irreparable brain damage following a collision with a truck on the Carrick-on-Suir to Waterford Road in 2006.
“Back in 2006 my own eldest daughter was in a very bad car accident and she is now in 24-hour care for the rest of her life. I know exactly what the family are going through today.”
Gardaí carried out examinations at the scene yesterday and are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam), and were travelling in the area of the N24 at Kilsheelan, Co. Tipperary, on Friday, between 9.30pm and 10.10pm are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.”
A total of 19 people died on Ireland’s roads in the month of March, bringing the annual total so far to 58 deaths.