Two investigations have begun into the death of a man (42) found unconscious while in custody in Tralee Garda station at lunchtime yesterday.
The Garda Ombudsman and the Garda Commissioner have opened investigations into the death of the Polish national.
"The scene has been preserved and the State pathologist and the Garda ombudsman have both been notified. A superintendent from outside the Kerry division has been appointed by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to investigate the incident," according to a Garda statement.
The Garda Ombudsman said it had dispatched a team to the scene as part of its investigation.
The man was arrested early yesterday morning and was being questioned by gardaí in relation to an alleged sexual assault on a woman in Tralee that morning. His arrest at about 4.30am followed the allegation of sexual assault in the Monavalley area of the town.
It is understood questioning had been suspended and that gardaí discovered the man unconscious shortly before 2pm. He was brought to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee, where he was pronounced dead.
It is understood the man was found slumped in his cell and that a ligature was around his neck attached to a wall, although he was not found hanging. A postmortem is likely to be carried out later today.