Model Katy French has died five days after collapsing at a party in Co Meath.
French had just celebrated her 24th birthday
Ms French (24) was taken to Our Lady's Hospital in Navan after she became ill at a friend's house in Ashbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning last.
Family and friends had been keeping a vigil at her bedside.
But a statement issued this evening by her family said she had passed away peacefully in the arms of her sister Jill and alongside her parents earlier today.
The family said they had been overwhelmed by the letters, blessings, gifts and prayers from people all over the country during Katy's time in hospital.
"It gave us strength and helped Katy so much. Although we did not get our yearned for miracle, all the expressions of love you sent her were powerfully healing in different ways," the statement said.
French celebrated her 24th birthday, along with a host of celebrity and media friends, only last Thursday in Dublin's Krystle nightspot.
Well-known for her outspoken views on issues such as abortion and cocaine use, she also came to prominence after taking part in RTÉ's recent Celebrities Go Wildprogramme.
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 earlier this week to give support to her family.
The Health Service Executive tonight also confirmed Ms French's death and expressed its sympathies to the family.
Gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms French's collapse. In a statement this evening, gardaí said they were conducting preliminary enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation of Ms French. "Gardaí are continuing their enquiries and there will be no further details until the results of a post mortem are known," the statement said.