Olivia Burke (21) was one of the six students who lost their lives in Berkeley, California earlier this week when a balcony they were standing on collapsed.

Olivia, who was from Dublin, was a student of Business and Entrepreneurship in the Institute of Art Design and Technology in Dún Laoghaire.

Olivia's classmate Clem Keane, who is on a J1 in Austin, Texas, has set up a fundraising page to help get her and Olivia’s other close friends home for the funeral.

On the page she writes, "please help us get back to Dublin to say our Final Goodbyes... I can't bear the thought that some of her close friends would miss her funeral in Dublin due to financial status."

Clem spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning about the fundraising efforts.

Telling Chris about Olivia, Clem said "she was one of my closest and dearest friends... I can't even put into words... she was the most upbeat and bubbly person."

Explaining that a number of Olivia's friends are looking to return to Ireland for the funeral, Clem said, "I want to make sure that we're all back together. We just need to be together at this time," she said.

You can find the Go Fund Me page here.

Meanwhile memorial events for the victims of the balcony collapse have been held in Dublin and California. 

Prayers for the young students who died and those who were injured in the accident  were said during the daily Eucharist in St Ann's Church on Dawson Street in Dublin. The service will also take place tomorrow.

A separate service will be held at DIT Aungier Street in Dublin city centre at 4pm this afternoon.

An online book of condolence is in operation at University College Dublin (UCD) - where many of the victims studied - while another will open at the Mansion House in Dublin from 10am today.

Irish J1 students have held a vigil in a park in Berkeley, California, while a memorial service was also held in the university town.