Healy-Rae formed special bond with glamour model
Last night he was “deeply saddened” on hearing of her death. “I’m shocked and gutted. She’s a great loss and will be remembered fondly, always,” he said.
Mr Healy-Rae had met with the model’s family, earlier yesterday, after a late night drive from Kerry to the hospital, in Meath, where she was battling for her life.
“I’m now glad I made that journey and that I met her father, mother and sister in their hour of great anxiety,” said Mr Healy-Rae.
“Her father, John, made a particular request to me to thank everyone in the country for the support they gave the French family in the past week,” he said.
The last time Mr Healy-Rae saw Katy alive was at her 24th birthday party at the Krystle Nightclub, in Dublin, last Thursday night.
“We did a lot of photos together and she was in powerful form. She wasn’t drinking alcohol and gave me a kiss when I was leaving to drive back to Kerry. That was the last time I spoke to her,” he said.
The Kerry politician gave her a birthday present of one of his trademark peaked caps.
Mr Healy-Rae said while Katy had the image of being a sophisticated, glamorous model, the nicest thing about was her “ordinariness”. He said: “She was very down-to-earth when she had to be and if there was any kind of job to be done, she’d do it. She was not afraid of hard graft.”
Mr Healy-Rae and Katy shared a tent during the filming of Celebrities Go Wild in the west of Ireland.
Mr Healy-Rae went on to become the outright winner.
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