Special deliveries ring in new year

ABOVE the giddy jingling of New Year’s bells rose the noisy jangle of newborn howls as maternity hospitals around the country kick-started the business of delivering babies in 2008.

Kerry General had a head start when 20-year-old Amanda O’Connell from Tralee gave birth to 6lb 13oz Kaitlyn at a second past midnight.

Cork University Maternity Hospital chimed in next with 6lb 15oz baby Tomas Kowalczyka, followed by the National Maternity Hospital in Holles St, Dublin, where Catherine Magee from Cabra, and partner Donnacha O’Brien gave birth to an 8lb 30z, as yet unnamed, baby boy.

In Limerick, Romanian Maria Marginean was first to give birth. Her daughter, Iulia, weighed in at 5lb at 1.22am.

At the Coombe Women’s Hospital, proud parents Brenda and Derek Reddell from Tallaght, were celebrating the birth of their 9lb 8oz baby boy, Ryan, born at 2.23am, the first delivery of 2008 for the Coombe. Valerie Longmore, from Donaghmeade, Dublin, gave birth at the Rotunda at 2.45am and had two reasons to celebrate. Her 7lb 14oz baby daughter Jessica was the first infant born in the hospital this year and will receive a medal for her achievement.

Patricia Williamson, assistant director of midwifery at the hospital, said the distinction is to mark the birth of the first baby during the Rotunda’s 250th anniversary year.

Jessica is a sister for 22-year-old Leeann and 14-year-old Shannon. The delighted father is Joseph Longmore.

In addition to Jessica, the last baby born in 2007 was also given a medal.

“It was a baby whose mother, Dragana Pekez, is from Bosnia. She called her little boy Alexander, and he is a brother for two-year-old Tara,” Ms Williamson said. Alexander, whose father is Mladen Spremo, weighed in at 8lbs 7oz.

The last baby born in the Coombe in 2007 was also a boy. Sylvia and Stephen Ainscough from Enfield, Co Kildare, welcomed their son, Nathan, weighing 8lbs 15oz into the world at 11.40pm. His birth marked the end of the busiest year to date for the Coombe with a record 8,504 babies born in 2007, a marked increase on the 8084 births in 2006.

Other contenders for the title of First Born Baby 2008 included 9lb 11oz Cillian O’Sullivan, born at CUMH at 1am to Breda and Eugene O’Sullivan, from Beara, Co Cork. Grainne Farren and Declan Mullins from Douglas, Cork, were also in the running.

Their daughter Eve, 8lb 9oz, was born at 1.30am. However, Baby Cian, born to Stephanie and Gerard Coleman from Douglas, Cork, arrived six hours too late.