A man and a woman have drowned in an accident off the Kerry coast, Valentia Coastguard has confirmed. 

The pair, who were in their 50s, got into trouble in the sea at Ballybunion beach. 

The man was brought ashore at around 6pm and efforts to revive him failed. The woman’s body was recovered a few minutes later. 

It is believed they were not local and their bodies have been taken by ambulance to the mortuary in University Hospital Kerry.

Gardaí are treating their deaths as a “tragic accident”.

Main image: Ballybunion Beach in County Kerry. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews