AN IRISH WOMAN and her New Zealand husband who were found dead at a holiday property in Spain have been named.

Thomasina McArdle, who was from Co Monaghan, and Patrick Tobin, a New Zealand citizen, were found dead in a jacuzzi at a rented property in Cullera, near Valencia, on Tuesday.

Their two teenage children discovered their bodies and raised the alarm.

Spanish police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, although foul play is not currently suspected.

Postmortem examinations are expected to help investigators establish how the couple died.

The Valencia Civil Guard initially said that both of those who died were Irish but has since clarified that Thomasina McArdle was an Irish national, while Patrick Tobin was from New Zealand.

Tobin was a New Zealand citizen and did not hold an Irish passport. He had lived in the UK for around 26 years.

His family in New Zealand and the UK are being assisted by New Zealand consular authorities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs previously confirmed that it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed that it is aware of Tobin’s death.

Investigation

The couple were staying with their children at a rented property in the Cap Blanc area of Cullera, a coastal resort around 40km south of Valencia.

Homicide detectives from the Civil Guard are investigating the deaths, although Spanish media have reported that an accident is currently considered the leading possibility.

There were reportedly no signs of a break-in at the property.

Local newspaper Las Provincias reported that investigators took a sample of water from the jacuzzi for laboratory analysis as they sought to establish what happened.

The couple’s bodies were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Valencia for postmortem examinations.

Spanish authorities had previously said that the circumstances in which the bodies were discovered prompted a specialist Civil Guard homicide unit to take charge of the investigation.

However, the Civil Guard said that foul play had initially been ruled out.

The couple’s children, aged in their teens, were reportedly provided with support by local social services and psychologists following the discovery.