Student Cian O’Brien, from Gleann na Rí, Tower, near Blarney, is understood to have died on Sunday night during a trip with a skiing and snowboarding group at a resort in the French Alps.

Mr O’Brien is reported to have been working as an electrical apprentice with a pharmaceutical company in Cork, and being with a group of friends who had gone to France with the Cork Snow Sports Society.

It is believed Mr O’Brien had been out with his friends on Sunday night and later went to bed, but his friends were unable to wake him on Monday morning.

Emergency services were alerted but efforts to resuscitate him were not successful.

Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Tuesday, January 6

Local Fine Gael councillor Damian Boylan said the news was the worst a family could ever get.

“This is every parent’s nightmare. You hug your child and you drop them to the airport or whatever and you say ‘go on away and have a ball and we’ll talk to you when you come back. Enjoy yourself’ and the next thing you’re faced with is this, the ultimate horror,” he said.

“There’s never a good time of the year but this is awful. My heart breaks for the family. I don’t know how you would deal with it,” he added.

“The lad was well known and well liked and the family are very involved with Blarney United football club. There’s a real sadness about the place today,” he said.

A funeral notice posted online said that Mr O’Brien had died unexpectedly in France, describing him as the “darling son of Paul and Sabrina (née Ryall) and loving brother of Lauren. Beloved grandson of Tim and Cora Ryall and Irene and the late Derek O’Brien and loving great grandson of the late Nora Ryall”.

“Sadly missed by his heartbroken parents, sister, grandparents, auntie Ciara, uncle Edward, aunts Norma and Sinead, uncles Sean and Alan, cousins, his many friends especially Luke, Joey, Pod, Tadgh, Cathal, Ted and Sean, relatives and neighbours,” the notice continued.

It is understood the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust is assisting the family with arrangements to repatriate the young man’s body to Cork as quickly as possible before funeral arrangements are finalised.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.

“As in all cases the Department does not comment on individual cases,” the spokesperson said.