'Vegas Baby' in Kinsale.... and Goodbye to Katy French.

Gosh, it's so long since I've posted... 4 months ago!!! I actually forgot my password, it's been so long. I had to really put on my thinking cap to work out a few possible combinations, while facing the thought of never being able to log on again.
I'm posting the photos from a recent party in Kinsale, which was truly a fab evening. Called 'Vegas Baby', it was a casino night with live music, DJs, drinks and food - and celebrities Dave Fanning, Brendan O'Connor, Mickey Joe Harte, Andrea Roche and Katy French.
It is with sadness that I look at these photos now considering the vibrant and beautiful Katy died four days ago following her collapse a week ago. While I was never a fan - being put off by her relentless pursuit of fame - I think it is so tragic for a 24-year-old to have her life cut drastically short, especially, if as speculated, it is as a result of the demon drug cocaine, which has claimed the lives of three young people in the space of the past week in this country.
This party took place on November 9th - a mere four weeks before her death. Nothing could have been further from our minds upon seeing her that night. It just goes to show that none of us knows what is around the corner.
I spoke to Katy that night, conducting an interview for the Evening Echo, which was parially filmed by Paradise Pictures for a documentary they were doing on the model (who knows if it will ever see the light of day now?) I found her to be extremely articulate with rich vocabulary and immediately thought she was a TV presenter of the future. She had the looks but she had the brain to match as well.
She told me that she still had her wedding dress from the marriage that never took place (to Marcus Sweeney, who called the wedding off when he found her doing a lingerie shoot on a table in his restaurant)... and poignantly now I realise, she added that she would wear it yet when the time came.
I will also remember how she admired my hair and nails... not a girl afraid to compliment another girl, which is a good sign.

Here she is above in the grey dress (for those on another planet), joined by showgirls Elaine Ranahan, Aisling Cronin and Stephanie Barry, as well as 'Your A Star' judge Brendan O'Connor and fellow model Andrea Roche.

Mickey Joe Harte belted out some tunes - and was clearly in good form......

...while later he was upstaged by Andrea, Katy and Brendan.....

...My friend Adrienne was chuffed to meet Brendan O'Connor....

... while my hero was Dave Fanning... seriously he's the reason I got into broadcasting... and I told him too... which was probably a bit cringe-worthy! I used to love the indie music he played and would listen religiously every night while doing my homework (not sure if much homework got done!) I loved the way he was passionate about the music he played and found that aspect very inspiring.

The girls again, full of smiles, blissfully unaware that one of them was to have her light extinguished in a matter of weeks....

...and finally, Katy - centre of attention and never far from a photographer's lens.

Katy French, RIP.