Special deliveries help ring in the new year

AS new year revellers sang Auld Lang Syne and pledged resolutions, more serene and joyous celebrations took place in hospitals all across the country.

Among the new year bundles of joy welcomed to the world on the first day of the year were Margaret Mary White, born at Cork University Maternity Hospital, Leah Rose O’Dowd born at Kerry General Hospital and Jilliene Reyn Versoza, who came into the world at the Coombe in Dublin.

Newborn howls were heard at Cork’s University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) at 12.43am thanks to Margaret Mary White who was born to Anne Dullea White, originally from Bandon in Co Cork, and weighed in at 3.3kg — just over 7lb.

Midwives at CUMH had a little breather until the birth of Ryan Foley at 3.17am.

Ryan is the son of Laurane Foley of Midleton, Co Cork. He weighed in at 3.75kg, just over the eight pound mark.

Subsequent babies were born at 4.29am and 5.01am with the fifth birth at the hospital yesterday being that of Amelia Bieleka daughter to Marta Bieleka.

Little Amelia weighed just over 7lb.

The sixth baby born was Cormac Ryan a son to Eileen Ryan Flaherty of Mallow, Co Cork.

His birth weight was 2.65kg, which is over 5lb.

A spokeswoman said the night had been relatively quiet as births go especially given that with the amalgamation of maternity hospitals CUMH is now the only maternity hospital in the city.

“It is has been quiet. It hasn’t been manic. Mothers and babies are all doing well,” she said.

The first baby of the new year at Kerry General Hospital, in Tralee, was a girl born to Eva O’Dowd, from Killorglin, Co Kerry.

Weighing six pounds 15 ounces, Leah Rose arrived at 7.27am and is Eva’s first baby.

At Dublin’s Coombe hospital, just five minutes past the midnight hour, Jilliene Reyn Versoza, weighing 6lb 11oz, was born to mother, Melujean and father Reynan from Sallins, Co Kildare.