Irish model found dead after distressing final Facebook post

One of Ireland's top models has been found dead hours after sharing a cryptic Facebook post.

News of Alli MacDonnell's death emerged in the UK media on Monday afternoon. While the circumstances are unclear, a police source tells Dublin Live the death is not being treated as suspicious.

In a final Facebook post written hours before she was found, the Dublin model and single mum of four alluded to being "pushed to the edge".

"Why is it ok for a man to call [a] girl a fat ugly c--- ?????? Seriously new level of pushing someone to the edge," the post read.

MacDonnell was a single mother to four children: Alex, 17, Sara, 15, Harry, 9, and Siena, just 2 years old. 

The 37-year-old had forged a successful modelling career over the last 12 years, and was most recently signed to the Andrea Roche's AR Model Agency.

MacDonnell also became an ambassador for Irish Autism Action after her son Harry was diagnosed with the condition; daughter Siena also eventually received the same diagnosis.

Friends and those who worked with MacDonnell have remembered her as "a beauty inside and out" and a proud mum.

Her best friend tells Her best friend tells  he had spoken to the model just hours before he received a phone call from her sisters on Monday morning, informing him of her death.

"I spoke to Alli yesterday. We would speak nearly every day and we just can’t comprehend what has happened," John Compton recalls.

Compton also said MacDonnell had been in talks with TV producers to be involved in two upcoming programs.

“She had so much to live for. She was an amazing mum and a fantastic campaigner for autism. She did such good work," he added.

Autism Ireland CEO Samantha Judge has also paid tribute to the mum, saying she'd campaigned "tirelessly" to raise awareness of the condition.

"She was a very strong voice for autism as a mother, and she was so supportive ... We could call her and ask for her help at any time and she worked with us whenever we needed her," Judge said.

Just last week, MacDonnell had celebrated her younger sister's 21st birthday, sharing photos from the event on Facebook.

"Happy 21st Birthday to my beautiful baby sister. You are one of the funniest, talented, strong and most beautiful humans ever," she wrote.