The man who drowned yesterday alongside his sister in Ballybunion, Co Kerry has been named as Dessie Byrne.
Dessie, in his 50s and from Athlone in Co Westmeath, got into difficulty while swimming in the sea and both he and his sister perished in what has been described as a "tragedy beyond belief".
His sister, in her 60s and not named as of yet, is believed to have been living and working in Malmo in Sweden and the pair were holidaying in the southwest away from Mr Byrne's home in Lecarrow, Co Roscommon.
Read more: 'Tragedy beyond belief' as brother and sister die in drowning tragedy in Kerry
It is understood Mr Byrne's son witnessed the tragic double drowning on Thursday evening. His family, including his wife and other children, were taken by gardai to the scene last night.
Post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out on the siblings today.
Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager Michael O'Toole spoke about how the tragedy unfolded, saying they first received an alert about two people in difficulty in the water at Ballybunion Beach just after 6pm yesterday.
A "large scale" search was immediately launched with multiple rescue boats sent out as well as a rescue helicopter and ambulances at the scene.
Speaking on RTE Morning Ireland on Friday, he said: "Just after 6pm yesterday evening, the Irish coastguard received notifications of persons potentially in difficulty in the Ballybunion Bay area.
"Immediately the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Valentia in Co Kerry initiated a large scale search and rescue operation. The Ballybunion community inshore rescue boat, the Ballybunion coastguard unit, the Kilrush [RNLI] lifeboat and the Shannon based coastguard search-and-rescue helicopter were all tasked to the scene."
Local lifeguards first pulled the body of a 50-year-old man from the water followed minutes later by the second casualty, a 62-year-old woman, who was found by the local rescue boat.
"Shortly after [the search was launched] we received information that an initial casualty had been recovered from the water by the local lifeguards," Mr O'Toole said.
"At that point the operation was also being supported by An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance service, some local community first responders and and the community air ambulance service.
"The Ballybunion community inshore rescue boat recovered another casualty from the water. Unfortunately there was a tragic outcome to the operation. Our thoughts must be with the family and friends of those affected by this incident."
He said that the conditions in Ballybunion Bay yesterday evening at the time of the tragedy were "fair" with "potentially choppy" waves in the water. It is believed the pair had been swimming when they got into difficulty and drowned.
"The conditions were fair. They were good for a search and rescue type operation. There was a moderate sea breeze and some potentially choppy wave conditions.
"However, they were not adverse [conditions]."
"The Gardai are conducting their investigation into the overall circumstances but we have some information that would suggest they were involved in swimming-based activities."
He continued: "On behalf of the Coast Guard and the other emergency services, I extend the deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved and to the wider community in Ballybunion."
Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan described the deaths as a “desperate tragedy” and expressed his “sincerest sympathies to the families” of the bereaved and to the people who witnessed the incident.
“From our perspective here in Co Limerick Ballybunion is an extension of our own place,” the Limerick TD told RTE’s Today with Claire Byrne Show.
“We know this place intimately. Some of my own extended family were in Ballybunion and saw the commotion that unfolded.
“It’s a desperate tragedy. And there’s really nothing that you can put into words to describe the pall of gloom that’s around north Kerry and west Limerick area at the moment.”
Local Sinn Fein councillor Robert Beasley said the community had been left in shock after the “horrible tragedy”.
The councillor, who lives near Ballybunion beach, told the PA news agency: “There was a lot of people on the beach at the time, maybe 600 people or 700 people.
“I met a lot of people on the clifftop and when they realised what was happening men, women and children were leaving in their droves and they were in a terrible distressed state.
“An hour and a half before, when I passed, people were happy, building sandcastles and generally having fun on the beach.
“Two deaths in the space of a couple of minutes on the water. It’s terrible – a terrible tragedy. People are shocked beyond belief.”
Mr Beasley offered his deepest condolences to the family affected.
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