Nicola Sturgeon met the Irish taoiseach on Friday ahead of a two-day trip to Dublin.

The First Minister will arrive in the Irish capital on Monday before addressing the upper house of the country's parliament, the Seanad, on Tuesday.

The bilateral meeting between the taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and Sturgeon took place in Cardiff, where both leaders attended a summit of the British-Irish council.

Speaking following the meeting, the First Minister said: "Today's meeting was a very welcome and constructive opportunity to further strengthen the strong connections Scotland and Ireland have long enjoyed.

"The taoiseach and I used the opportunity to discuss mutual Irish-Scottish interests, both cultural and economic.

"The British Irish Council was an important opportunity to call on the UK Government to work harder to protect our interests in Europe in the face of an impending Brexit.

"In the post-Referendum landscape, it has become even more important that Scotland and Ireland work together to further strengthen our shared economic, cultural and social ties."

The taoiseach's office declined to comment on the meeting when asked by STV News.

Earlier on Friday, at a press conference following the council summit, Kenny said: "I didn't like the decision of the UK electorate but I respect it and we now have to deal with it.

"The best outcome would be something as close to what we have at the moment. I think everybody will agree that the importance of the single market is critical for everybody."

The First Minister also held talks with her Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones.

Both expressed their support for the UK remaining inside the single market after the country formally leaves the European Union.

The meeting came after Jones earlier poured doubt on the likelihood of a separate EU deal for Scotland.

The Scottish Government has pledged to publish proposals for Brexit before Christmas.

Sturgeon has said it will include a new devolved package of powers including immigration and the power to strike international deals.

After the meeting, Jones said: "This has been a constructive discussion where we have shared our very strong concerns over the prospect of the UK pursuing a hard Brexit.

"We will continue to work together to build a coalition in favour of the UK having full and unfettered access to the single market.

"We each face different situations in our own countries and it is for each of us to set out our favoured outcomes. Where we can work together to achieve those aims, we will continue to do so."