Gardaí in Kerry have confirmed that the two nuns who died on Inch beach were swimming in deeper waters and further from shore than initially believed.
It also appears that the nuns died from drowning rather than any sudden medical attack.
Sr Paula Buckley (70) and Sr Imelda Carew (67), of the Presentation congregation's southeast province were among a group of three Presentation sisters who were on holiday in the Dingle peninsula.Their companion was waiting on the beach for them at the time they disappeared from view sometime after 7pm on Thursday.
The third woman was not swimming, and stood watching her companions from the shoreline, waiting for them to emerge from the water.
The two in the water had been standing up in the water a short time before – not far from the strand. They had waved back to their companion. Suddenly she no longer saw them and alerted the lifeguards, whose station was nearby.
Gardaí have interviewed and taken statements from eight people who were on the beach at the time. A surfer has also been interviewed and he has told gardaí the nuns were swimming beyond the first break of the surf, 30m from shore, in deep waters.
Sergeant Noel Burke of Dingle Garda station, who is leading the inquiry into the sudden death of two women, said investigations were continuing.
However Sgt Burke said: “We can confirm that they were swimming thirty metres from the shore, in deep water.”
They did not ask the surfer for assistance and their wave to their companion on shore seems to have been a friendly greeting before they swam out.
Their bodies were recovered from shallow waters which initially puzzled the authorities, leading to speculation one may have suffered a heart attack. However it now appears almost certain the nuns drowned and had been swimming out of their depth.
Meanwhile, there is also some speculation that hard winter storms which struck Inch and nearby Rossbeigh with some ferocity this year may have re-shaped the sand banks at Inch with people hit deeper waters earlier than previously.