Two bodies recovered from canal in Dublin

An investigation is underway after the bodies of two men were discovered in the Grand Canal in Dublin.

Shortly after 08:00 local time on Saturday, Gardaí (Irish police) and emergency services responded to reports of a body in the canal.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported the bodies of two males, both aged in their 40s, were recovered from the canal a short time later.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí have identified both individuals, but the formal identification process is still ongoing.

The results of post-mortem examinations and local enquiries will determine the course of garda investigations.

Both men are understood to have been Irish nationals.

A forensic examination was being carried out inside two tents pitched close to the banks of the Grand Canal, RTÉ reported.

The bodies were found close to the Ranelagh Road bridge.

It is understood that the men were homeless.

A large number of people had been sleeping in tents close to the scene where the bodies were found on Saturday morning.

In May, asylum seekers who were living in tents along the Grand Canal in Dublin were moved to other accommodation.

Speaking to RTÉ, Fianna Fáil TD Jim O'Callaghan expressed his condolences to the family of the two men.

He said what happens next will depend on the outcome of the garda investigation.

Mr O'Callaghan said: "But if it is the case that the men were staying in tents or they were homeless, I suppose it does underline the dangerousness of being living in a tent and being homeless".

"Obviously there's an obligation to say, to ensure that we provide accommodation for people who find themselves in that desperate situation," he said.