Gardaí are investigating the death of a young woman in Cork city centre today.

The 22-year-old, reported to be from the southside of the city, was discovered in an upstairs room of a three-storey building on Sheares Street at around 7am.

She was reportedly found dead at the scene of the vacant business premises before being taken to Mercy University Hospital.

The premises was a vacant property and officers believe that people had started to use it as a squat in recent days.

Gardaí are currently trying to establish the circumstances of the woman's death after Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster visited the scene.

Gardaí have said they are keeping an open mind on her death adding that the postmortem, to be carried out by Dr Bolster at Cork University Hospital tomorrow, will determine the course of their investigation.

It is believed she went into the building with a number of other people yesterday, and it was one of these people who alerted paramedics after being unable to wake her this morning.

Gardaí have confirmed that she was last seen alive at about 8.30pm last night.

They are carrying out a forensic examination of the scene and examining CCTV footage from Sheares Street and surrounding areas.

Gardaí have asked that anyone who noticed or heard anything unusual in the Sheares Street area or can help the investigation to contact the Bridewell Garda station on 021-4943330.