Baby joy after tunnel labour

A Cork couple was celebrating last night after the dramatic birth of their baby son in a car near the Jack Lynch tunnel early yesterday.

Kevin Twomey and his partner, Louise Curry, left their home in Cobh for Cork University Maternity Hospital just before 2am when Louise went into labour.

But when it became clear that they wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time, Kevin, had to pull his car over to the side of the road on the roundabout at the northern entrance to the Jack Lynch tunnel.

Glanmire gardaí responded to the incident but on arrival, found that Kevin had helped deliver a healthy baby boy, who weighed in at 9lb 4oz.

The gardaí checked to make sure everybody was OK and then gave Kevin, Louise and their newborn son an escort to CUMH, where medical staff were waiting to care for them.

Both mum and baby Jamie Michael were doing very well yesterday, the HSE said.

Dad Kevin is also understood to have recovered from the shock.

Louise said: “There was just no time to get to hospital so we pulled over and thankfully Jamie arrived safe and sound and we continued on our way to the hospital.”

Mary Fitzgerald, CUMH operational manager, said Kevin and Louise did a wonderful job delivering Jamie on their own on the side of the road.

“The staff here are now taking great care of Louise and Jamie as they do with all our newborns.”

Jamie Michael’s brothers are being cared for by relatives and hope to welcome their new brother home over the weekend.