Bodies of four Berkeley tragedy victims arrive at Dublin Airport

The plane carrying four of the victims of the Berkeley balcony collapse and their families has arrived in Dublin Airport.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has met with the families of Eoghan Culligan, Lorcan Miller, Eimear Walsh and Niccolai Schuster as they arrived back in Ireland from California.

RTÉ's Laura Fletcher reports from Dublin Airport as the bodies of four Berkeley victims arrive home https://t.co/3QOqaY5vZi

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 21, 2015

Three of the coffins were led out of Dublin airport by Garda escort, while the body of Niccolai Schuster was led out afterwards in order to allow his family time alone with him - as some of his family had not flown over to the US this week.

The families have appealed for privacy during this difficult time, but they have also expressed their appreciation for the support and sympathy they have received from people in Ireland and America - including the community in Berkeley and the medical and emergency service staff.

The remains of four of the students who died in the balcony collapse in Berkeley, California leave Dublin Airport. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins.

In total six students died when an apartment balcony collapsed during a party in the university city of Berkeley on Tuesday.

A joint funeral was held in California yesterday for cousins Olivia Burke and Irish- American student Ashley Donohoe. Olivia's body will be repatriated within the next few days.