NEW year celebrations were rung in across Northern Ireland's maternity hospitals with the delivery of 25 bundles of joy.
The north's first baby of 2016 was a little boy born in Coleraine's Causeway hospital at just three minutes past midnight to proud parents Laura and Ryan Porter from Magherafelt. Baby Porter weighed in at 6lbs 4oz.
This is the second year running the Causeway maternity staff have seen the first arrival of the new year.
Just 36 minutes later, a baby girl weighing 7lbs 14oz was delivered at the South West Acute hospital in Enniskillen to mum Joan McGrath and dad Anthony.
A baby girl was born at Antrim Area hospital at 1.38am before the arrival of another infant girl at 2.45am at Altnagelvin hospital in Derry weighing 5lbs 9oz.
A second baby boy, Micah, was born in the Causeway at 3.14am to mum Claire Adair from Dungiven in Co Derrry. Little Micah weighed 7lb 11oz.
Midwives at the Derry hospital delivered with two more baby boys born at 5.19am and 11.12am. The first boy, baby Murphy, weighed 7lbs 6oz and his parents are from Artigarven near Strabane.
The second, weighing in at 7lbs 2oz was born to proud Limavady mum Catherine Mailey.
Three New Year's babies were delivered in the Southern Trust, with a little boy, Adam John Moffett, weighing 9lbs 6oz born in Daisy Hill hospital at 8.03am to proud parents Karen Wilton and Glen Moffett from Newry.
Baby girl McGovern was also delivered safely in the Newry hospital at 12.58pm, weighing 7lb 6oz, while another little girl was born in Craigavon Area hospital 1.27pm, weighing 8lb 6oz.
The first baby to arrive on the island made their entrance at just 11 seconds after midnight at Limerick's University Maternity Hospital. Little Kieran Patrick Gibbons, weighing 8lb 3oz, took nearly two days to arrive, his mother Jennifer O’Neill said.
Meanwhile, at the Ulster Hospital in Dundondald, the first baby of the new year was born to Comber couple, Heather and Chris Sloan.
Charlotte Sloan was born at 00.45am, weighing 7lbs 3oz.
The new baby will share her birthday with her big sister, Lucy who was born on New Year's Day in 2014.
Speaking on Friday, Dr Chris Sloan said he and his wife, a gynaecology nurse, were "absolutely delighted" with their new arrival, who was still awaiting a visit from her big sister.
"We are just tired but delighted and feel very blessed to have a healthy baby. There's a fair bit of deja vu," he said.
"The baby was born at 00.45am so we were really in the midst of it at midnight. The new year has passed us all".
Belfast mother, Nicola Shaw was the next to give birth at the Ulster Hospital. She gave birth to a baby girl, weighing 5lbs 8oz at 3.10am.
Crumlin mother, Zoley Barber was the next to welcome her new arrival, a baby girl, weighing 8lbs, at 6.51am.
Kathryn Gowdy, from Carrickfergus, welcomed her new bundle of joy, a baby girl, weighing 8lbs 5oz at 7.25am.
At the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast, there were seven babies - five girls and two boys - born in the early hours of the New Year.
The first new arrival, a baby girl, made an appearance at 00.14am. A short time later, at 1.54am, another baby girl was born. She was followed by her twin brother at 2.25am.
Belfast mother, Thesesa Anthony was among the mothers who welcomed New Year babies. Her baby daughter was born at 2.37am, weighing 9lbs 2oz.
