Gardaí have ruled out foul play in the deaths of an elderly couple in Co Kilkenny.
The bodies of the elderly man and woman were discovered yesterday afternoon at a farmhouse near Ballyragget, about 12 miles north of Kilkenny city.
Early indications were that the farming couple, named locally as Mr John and Mrs Bridget McGrath, may have been the victims of gas or carbon monoxide poisoning.
However, the exact cause of their deaths was last night unknown.
A public health nurse, who called to the isolated house at Kilmacar, made the discovery.
She immediately contacted emergency services and gardaí sealed off the house, which is located between Ballyragget and Castlecomer.
The Kilkenny county coroner and the county pathologist were notified.
The body of the woman, who was in her 60s, was found in an upstairs bedroom.
The body of her husband, who was in his early 70s, was discovered in the kitchen downstairs.
Their pet dog was also found dead downstairs, indicating that the cause of the tragedy was a gas or carbon monoxide leak.
It has not yet been established when the couple died. The man is reported to have been seen locally on Sunday.
The scene was preserved for technical examination and the bodies were removed to Waterford Regional Hospital.
Post mortem examinations are to begin this morning.