Northern Ireland

Ireland's first baby of new year and decade born in Derry at 12.01am

Proud parents Tamara and Sean-Paul Tierney welcomed the first baby of 2020. Their little boy Shane Paul was born at Altnagelvin hospital at one minute past midnight on January 1.
Proud parents Tamara and Sean-Paul Tierney welcomed the first baby of 2020. Their little boy Shane Paul was born at Altnagelvin hospital at one minute past midnight on January 1. Proud parents Tamara and Sean-Paul Tierney welcomed the first baby of 2020. Their little boy Shane Paul was born at Altnagelvin hospital at one minute past midnight on January 1.

IRELAND'S first baby of the new year and new decade was born in Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital at one minute past midnight.

Little Shane Paul Tierney was safely delivered to overjoyed parents Tamara and Sean-Paul from Thornhill in the city, weighing 8lbs 2oz.

It is the couple's first baby and the 26-year-old mother, who is a staff nurse at Altnagelvin, said she is "so relieved" her infant is doing well.

It was thought he may be the first new year baby born in the UK.

"Shane wasn't due until January 8 and I was brought in early to be induced. The staff were absolutely phenomenal and he is doing great - we're delighted he is the first New Year baby," Tamara said.

Just a minute later, the north's second baby of 2020 - a little girl, Pixie - was born to Bangor mother Keiva Troupe at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. She weighed 7lbs 8oz.

Two more families celebrated new year births at the busy Dundonald hospital, with Finaghy woman Hannah Porter welcoming her new-born boy Jamie at 12.33am. Baby Jamie weighed 7lbs 7oz.

Just over an hour later, Hillsborough mum Katy Irwin gave birth to a little boy.

Dublin's Rotunda Hospital saw the Republic's first baby, with infant Victoria Setuke being delivered at 12 minutes past midnight to mother Patience Setuke.

Staff working in maternity units across the north's health trusts were kept busy with almost hourly deliveries on the first day of January.

The north's biggest maternity hospital, the Royal Jubilee in Belfast, had three new year arrivals with a little girl, Poppy, born to Lisa Woods at 1.51am. She weighed 8lb 13oz.

Belfast woman Lara Small also celebrated the start of 2020 with her baby boy Rory, who was born at 2.04am and weighed 7lb 4oz.

And little Armani Berkiova was a new year bundle of joy for his mother Lucie. Armani weighed 5lb 9oz.

In Co Down, overjoyed Crossmaglen couple Antoinette and Stefan Murphy welcomed their new baby boy into the world at 12.21am in Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. Baby Anthony James weighed 6lbs 5oz.

A baby girl was also born at the same hospital at 4.55am to delighted mum Rachael O'Gorman.

Limavady woman Kate Miller was the second new mother in Altnagelvin, giving birth to a bouncing baby boy at 1.52am, weighing 7lbs and 13oz.

In Enniskillen, Western health trust staff working in the South West Acute Hospital helped deliver a baby boy to couple Laura and Sean Brown at 2.44am. The couple named him Arthur and he weighed 7lbs 7oz.

In the Southern trust, delivery suites were also busy in Craigavon Area Hospital yesterday morning - with three births in just over 20 minutes.

Baby Mia was born to a thrilled Nicole O'Donnell from Ballygawley in the Co Armagh hospital at 8.37am. The little tot weighed 7lbs 5oz.

Six minutes later, Craigavon mum Andrea Birca welcomed her new baby girl into the world and within 15 minutes Ballygawley woman Aisling McCrystal delivered her little girl.

Two minutes before 10am, a bouncing baby boy weighing 10lbs 9oz was also born at the Craigavon hospital to Lurgan mother Elaine Burnett.

And the Western trust announced two further new year late morning deliveries at Altnagelvin hospital in Derry, with Baille O'Connor born at 11.09am and the hospital's first girl, Faye Hasson, arriving just over 25 minutes later.