THE FIRST BABY of 2020 was born in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin early this morning.
Victoria Setuke was born to first-time mother Patience Setuke at the hospital at 12.12am.
The baby girl weighed 3.23kg, just over seven pounds.
A spokesperson for the Rotunda confirmed that both mother and baby are doing well. At least seven babies were born at the hospital between midnight and 4am.
Two babies were born at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital in Dublin between midnight and 5am but no details are being made public by the families involved.
At least one baby was born in the early hours of today at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street in Dublin but no further information is available.
Babies were also born in hospitals in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Tipperary between midnight and 1am.
‘On cloud nine’
Donegal woman Ashley Barron said she was “on cloud nine” after delivering “the first little girl to be born in Limerick” at 4.33am. The baby girl, who has yet to be named, weighed 6lbs 3oz and arrived four days early at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL).
“She was due on the fifth but she couldn’t wait so she arrived today at 4.33am. She was the first little girl to be born in Limerick. She’s as good as gold.
“She hasn’t said a peep since she was born, long may it continue, please god,” Barron joked.
“She’s very long. I don’t know where she’s getting that it out of, I’m only 5ft 3” myself,” she said, adding that her partner, MJ Buckley, is nearly 6ft “so she might get it from his side of the family, we’ll give him the credit for that”.
“Now that I’ve seen her, I don’t know what to call her. She’ll come into herself in the next couple of days and I’ll choose (a name) then,” Barron said.
She’s amazing. She’s flat out here, she’s oblivious to what is going on around her. It’s great, it’s a nice feeling. I’m feeling great, absolutely on cloud nine, but it’s still very surreal at the minute, it has to sink in yet.
The first baby to be born at the hospital arrived 46 minutes into the new year.
UMHL is the second largest maternity hospital outside the capital, with an average of 5,000 births per year.
Mary Tevlin, Assistant Director of Midwifery at UMHL, said: “It’s been a fantastic day so far and we’ll have plenty more as the day goes on.”
Contains reporting from David Raleigh
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