The family of Eimear Noonan have confirmed the "heartbreaking news" that the body reportedly recovered by French police over the weekend belonged to the 21-year old.
The UCC graduate had been reported missing last Wednesday when she failed to turn up at the school she'd been working as a teaching assistant in in the French town of Annonay.
An extensive social media campaign was launched over the weekend by her family and friends to try and glean any information as to her possible whereabouts. Her family also travelled to Lyon over the weekend - the nearest French city to Annonay - to assist French police with a search for their daughter.
Eimear's brother Cathal posted on Facebook on Sunday night revealing that "our beloved Eimear died following a fall while running".
He continued in the post to express the extreme sadness of the family, saying,"Eimear was a warm, bubbly person who had already made a wide circle of friends there through her love of music and singing. She graduated last month from UCC with an honours degree in Irish and French, was a talented violinist and to our immense pride was head of UCC orchestra for her final year there."
He described how the family "will be forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received in recent days".
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"We would like to thank the Irish and French authorities and the people of Annonay for the kindness and compassion they have shown us. We now appeal for privacy in this most difficult time as we bring Eimear home to her beloved Lough Graney and start the journey of grieving," he said.
Our thoughts go out to all of Eimear Noonan's family and friends.
H/T: Independent.ie
