The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to a Cork J1 student attacked in the US.

Evan White, from Farran, Co Cork was celebratiing his 21st birthday with friends when he is believed to have been brutally beaten.

The incident occurred in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego.

Police in San Diego said that Evan was found unconscious in an alley in the early hours of Friday morning and was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital and remains in critical condition.

According to The Irish Sun friends of Evan described him as "quiet and shy" and suggested the brutal attack had left him "unrecognisable".

A friend described Evan as one of the "nicest guys you could meet."

“I was away for the weekend and I just heard what happened on Sunday.

“I immediately contacted some of our friends who are there with Evan to find out what happened.

“They said he is a terrible state. He was beaten to a pulp. He has injuries everywhere but particularly to his face. He has so many bones broken there, he is unrecognisable.

“But the good news is that he has been fighting back and while he is still in intensive care and still critical there are strong hopes for his recovery.

“The lads were saying they were out celebrating Evan’s 21st and he got separated from them.

“They did not know who did this to him, but whoever it was they left him for dead in an alleyway.

“I can’t believe something like this would happen to him. He is the nicest, quietest guy you could meet. He would never get into a confrontational situation. He is very shy until you get to know him.”