Outer estuary - Ballydehob
Ballydehob (Wiki Commons)

The bodies of a father and daughter have been found on a beach in West Cork, Ireland.

A man, aged 50, and his three-year-old daughter were pronounced dead at the scene when they were found in the early hours of the morning.

The girl's body was found in the water at Audley Cove, an isolated beach west of Ballydehob, just before 2am, while her father was discovered a short time later, also in the water.

Police were called to a farm at Foilnamuck, Ballydehob, and a search of the farmland and surrounding area was undertaken.

The bodies were taken to the University Hospital Cork where Margaret Bolster from the State Pathologist Office will conduct a post mortem.

Police are currently treating the deaths as suspicious, but are not looking for anyone else in connection.

According to the Irish Independent, the search was launched after a note was found at the farm.

There was no trace of a boat, suggesting their deaths were not linked to a fishing accident.

Gardai are trying to confirm the father and daughter's identities by conducting door to door inquiries in the area.

It is thought the man is a local farmer and that the girl's mother was there when the bodies were found.