Images have emerged of the body of a dolphin being thrown around in a student apartment complex in Cork earlier this week, writes Denise O'Donoghue.

The carcass was seen in Parchment Square student accommodation in the western suburbs of Cork city and photos appeared on Snapchat before being shared more widely on social media.

Two men who appear to have brought the body to the apartment complex for a house party are not believed to be students.They are reported to have brought the dead dolphin from west Cork.

The body of the dolphin, which is believed to have died before it was brought to Parchment Square, was discovered in the grass outside an apartment by an employee at the complex, after it was thrown from the window.

It is unknown how the animal died before it appeared in Cork city or how it came into the possession of the party-goers. Its body was disposed of by staff working att he complex.

Those involved have been heavily criticised on social media since the photos emerged.

"How could someone be so dysfunctional and bring a dead dolphin to parchment?" asked one person on Twitter.

It is unknown whether the tenants of the apartment in question are students at either CIT or UCC, or merely friends of others living at the complex.

A spokesperson for Cork Institute of Technology, which is following the incident closely, said Parchment Square is not connected to any of the colleges in Cork, as it is run by an independent company.

Parchment Square has undergone a change of management in the last year.

The management of Parchment Square have not responded to our requests for further information.