Fears are growing for the safety of four Irish-Egyptian siblings held in military custody in Cairo.
The children of the Imam of Ireland's largest mosque in Dublin were forced to seek sanctuary on Friday after violence erupted between supporters of the ousted president Morsi and security forces.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Joe Costello said that the four are being held at the Tora Prison in Cairo and Irish diplomats want to visit them in prison to make sure their safe.
Summer, a friend of the captives, speaking in Dublin, said it has been a difficult time.
"It was really upsetting hearing them over Al-Jazeera English and what they were going through," she said.
"Everyone was staying up that night hoping for the best because we all thought that they could die that night. And we were calling them, and they were crying over the phone and it was really upsetting and it kind of hit you in the face what's going on over there."