Tributes have been pouring in for Judy Fitzgerald, the former Miss Bikini Ireland and star of the Irish version of First Dates, who has died unexpectedly at the age of 32. The nurse and midwife passed away on Saturday, according to a notice announcing her death.
Fitzgerald, who earned her nursing degree from University College Cork, won the Miss Bikini Ireland title in 2014. A year later, she walked the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, describing the experience as a 'dream come true'.
She appeared on First Dates Ireland last year, where she went on a date with Aaron. The pair reportedly bonded immediately, with Aaron complimenting her beauty and joking that there was someone in Ireland 'prettier than him'.
Friends and colleagues have taken to social media to pay tribute. Fashion designer Venera Tabakin posted photos of the pair, writing: 'RIP Judy Fitzgerald, my little model and friend, Miss Bikini Ireland and Celebrity of Ireland.' Actress Jenny Dixon and her husband Tom Neville added: 'So so sad to learn of Judy’s passing. She will be missed by all very much.'
One friend described her as a 'kind, beautiful person, a girl that would light up a room with her smile'. A death notice confirmed she was 'sadly missed by her heartbroken parents Liam and Imelda, sister Lucy, brother William, brother-in-law Pedro'. Her funeral mass is scheduled for June 1st in Raheen, with burial at Castlemungret Cemetery.
