‘There was no stopping this lad coming into the world’ – Ireland’s first Generation Beta babies are born

At the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, Dublin, its first Generation Beta baby was born when little Bradley arrived 19 seconds into the new year.

He is the first child for parents Eve Colley and Eric Tyrell and weighed in at a healthy 3.245kg (7lb 2oz).

Assistant director of midwifery Ann Calnan said all went well with the birth and mother and baby are doing fine.

“There was no stopping this lad coming into the world,” she said.

Across the Liffey in the Rotunda Hospital, Martha Gilroy-Kelly from Dublin 13 also gave birth to a boy, Theodore Byrne. Martha and partner Jack Byrne were delighted with their new arrival.

He weighed 4.08kg (almost 9lb) and was born at nine minutes past midnight.

Between midnight and 8am there were eight babies born in the Rotunda.

The birth of baby Theodore brings the total number of babies born at The Rotunda Hospital to over 900,000 since it first opened its doors over 275 years ago.

It was 20 minutes past midnight when Cork’s first baby arrived, and it was another boy.

Rowan weighed 3.51kg (7lb 12oz) and was born to Shannon Gibson from Cork city.

In Sligo, Orna Burke and Ronan Cox welcomed their baby girl at 3.54am at Sligo University Hospital. The as-yet un-named baby of the Sligo couple weighed 3.57kg (7lbs 14oz).

In Mullingar the first baby of the year arrived at 2.24am. The little girl, who also has yet to be named, is the daughter of Shaunagh Carberry and Sean Healy from Carrickboy in Longford, and weighed 3.65kg (just under 8lb 1oz).

And in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda a baby boy named Aaron was born to his mother Naomi at 3.44am. Aaron weighed 3.75kg (8lb 4oz).

In Kerry a home birth was recorded at 5.41am when Féile was born to parents Andrea Thornton and Eoin Murphy from Ardfert in Co Kerry.

The birth was assisted by two of the University Hospital midwife team, Sinead Murphy and Kirsty Hawthorn. Féile weighed-in at 3.77kg (8lb 5oz).