Family vigil for Katy French continues

Relatives of a top model who is seriously ill face a further anxious day at her hospital bedside as a friend said he believed she had the strength of character to recover.

No confirmation has been given for the cause of Katy French's reported collapse at a house party, but a spokeswoman for Navan Hospital said she remained in a serious condition today.

Michael Healy Rae, who appeared with French in the hit RTÉ programme 'Celebrities Go Wild', today spoke of how she was full of life at her 24th birthday party just days ago.

While it is understood she has not regained consciousness since she fell ill on Sunday, the councillor and friend of the socialite spoke of his hopes for her recovery.

"I was at her birthday party on Thursday and she was in great form and we had a great night," he said.

"She was in great form at the party and full of life and her mother was in great form and everybody just had a great time.

"Now we're all rooting for her. What I do believe is that she has the strength of character to come through this.

"She is a very strong person. It's very sad and I pray to God that she has the strength to pull out of this," he said.

It is understood the model collapsed during a house party in Ashbourne, Co Meath, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She was rushed by ambulance to Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, where she has been fighting for her life since.

Friends of French, including former Miss Ireland Andrea Roche, arrived at the hospital yesterday to offer support to her family.

A Health Service Executive (HSE) spokeswoman said this morning that she remained in a serious condition, but would not comment on the cause of her illness.

Assets Model Agency, for which she works, declined to comment when contacted.

There has been widespread speculation as to the cause of her sudden illness, with friends claiming she recently suffered a kidney infection.

It has been widely reported that in a recent media interview the model admitted to taking cocaine and described use of the drug as part of the Dublin social scene.

But she insisted she had stopped using the substance, warning of its dangers.

Mr Healy-Rae, son of TD Jackie Healy-Rae, appeared on the hit RTÉ programme 'Celebrities Go Wild' with French earlier this year.

"We all remained in touch since the programme," he said.

"It is shocking and beyond belief what has happened. I'm very upset by this."

Born in Switzerland, French's family moved to Ireland when she was a young girl and settled in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

After her Leaving Certificate, she had plans to study psychology but chose a career in modelling instead.

While she has been on the catwalk for years, she only came to prominence after the media attention which surrounded the public break-up with her fiance, restaurateur Marcus Sweeney.

It was a launchpad that has seen her secure saturation media coverage over the last year, making her one of Ireland's best-known models.

Mr Sweeney was among the close friends who visited the hospital last night to give support to her distraught family.