Irish students die in French house fire

Two Irish students have died in a house fire in France.

The bodies of 21-year-old Patricia McDonald from Cootehill in Cavan and 20-year-old Carol Nolan from Swords in Dublin were discovered yesterday afternoon.

It is understood they died in a blaze at the house they were renting in the town of Lorient in Brittany.

They were both studying there as part of an exchange programme from the Institute of Technology in Tallaght.

A forensic examination will be carried out later today to determine the cause of the fire.