Growth in Ireland's annual consumer price inflation (CPI) index slowed as expected to a near two-year low of 5.1% in October from 6.4% a month earlier, Central Statistics Office data showed on Thursday.

The data also confirmed that inflation as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), which strips out mortgage interest costs, fell sharply to 3.6% while the HICP rate excluding energy and unprocessed food nudged up to 4.6%. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Alison Williams)