I suppose every part of me, I wasn't well, I was physically drained, I had lost loads of weight, I wasn't sleeping, and it crept up on me very quickly. I'd had some kind of virally things, but didn't think they were significant until I was hit with this. I suppose it was like a bolt from the blue, where I was knocked sideways and couldn't keep going.
Crucial swing bloc will not back her nomination until she secures at least 16 signatures. Conservative activist Maria Steen suffered a major blow to her ­presidential hopes last night, just hours after announcing on the plinth at Leinster House that she had 10 Oireachtas backers and that her campaign was under way. Michael Collins, leader of Independent Ireland, said its crucial swing bloc of four votes would not consider backing Ms Steen until she had 16 signatures.
