A man in his 30s has been left fighting for his life after being stabbed in the stomach.

Gardaí said the critically injured man was found on the road in Coote Street in Portlaoise at about 4am.

He was taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital in the town but was later transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

Gardaí said the man had been stabbed in the abdomen and that he remained in a critical condition.

The scene where the man was found has been preserved for forensic officers to carry out a technical examination and detectives appealed for anyone who was in the Coote Street area of Portlaoise between 3.30am and 4.30am to come forward.