The funeral of Irish model Katy French, who died last week after collapsing suddenly in a friend's house, took place today in a small rural church in her home village of Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
The funeral of model Katy French, at St. Patrick's Church, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow
Hundreds of mourners, including the Taoiseach's aide de camp Captain Michael Tracey, attended the service for Ms French (24) at St Patrick's Church.
Described as an angel by her mother, Janet, and loving and affectionate by her sister, Jill, during a dignified and at times emotional ceremony, Ms French was laid to rest in the small wooded graveyard adjoining the church this afternoon.
A Garda investigation into her death, involving officers from the National Drugs Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, is continuing.
The Garda press office has declined to comment on reports that the postmortem on her body had found she suffered brain damage and that traces of cocaine had been found in her body.
Ms French was admitted to hospital early on December 2nd after she collapsed at a friend's house in Kilmessan, Co Meath.
Parents John and Janet and sister Jill maintained a bedside vigil as the model lay critically ill on a life support machine at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.
The model recently revealed she had used cocaine, branding it part of the Dublin social scene, but quit the drug, warning others of its dangers.
Born in Switzerland, Ms French and her family moved to Ireland when she was a young girl and settled in Enniskerry.
Her celebrity status peaked after her high-profile break-up with fiance and restaurateur Marcus Sweeney in January.
During today's poignant ceremony, a photo-montage of Ms French compiled by her sister Jill and including family snaps as well as professional shots, was played as a slide show shortly after her coffin was brought into the church.
Her mother Janet said she had lost an angel. "Life for Katy was about loving it, embracing it," she said. "It was that love of life, that openness of heart, that childlike naturalness that intoxicated me.
"I could have forgiven Katy anything and she was always ready to forgive me too. "In a week or so something else will hit the news and many will forget my Katy. "I won't of course and neither will anyone in her family.
"To me, Katy was an angel. Every mother's daughter is an angel," she said. Her sister Jill spoke of her admiration of her older sibling and reminisced about their years together.
"There are no words to describe what she meant to me and the person that she really is," she said. "Katy is my big sister, confident, beautiful, intelligent, funny, cheeky, charming, brave, loving and strong. "Basically she was a lot for a little sister to live up to," she said.
Ms French's father John said Katy touched all those she met in her short life. "Like each one of us, Katy has many sides but deep within there shone a light so very, very bright which many of you have experienced," he said.
"But we're not here to mourn her death, but celebrate her life," he said.
The family has asked that donations be made to the charity Goal for the street children of Calcutta in lieu of flowers. A memorial service is to be held at a later date.