Ireland

Three sisters give birth on same day in the same hospital

Mairead Fitzpatrick, Joeline Godfrey and Bernie Ward with Thomas Og, Sorcha and Phelim and their dads. Picture by Sinead Hussey, RTE, on Twitter
Mairead Fitzpatrick, Joeline Godfrey and Bernie Ward with Thomas Og, Sorcha and Phelim and their dads. Picture by Sinead Hussey, RTE, on Twitter Mairead Fitzpatrick, Joeline Godfrey and Bernie Ward with Thomas Og, Sorcha and Phelim and their dads. Picture by Sinead Hussey, RTE, on Twitter

THREE sisters have given birth just hours apart on the same day and in the same hospital.

The three little cousins are thriving and waiting on the arrival of a fourth as another pregnant sister is overdue.

Mairead Fitzpatrick gave birth to Thomas Óg, sister Joeline Godfrey gave birth to Sorcha and Bernie Ward delivered Phelim at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar.

Their sister, Christina Murray, had a due date of August 30.

The four sisters are from Cloonfad in Roscommon and insist the simultaneous births were not planned.

Mairead was the first to give birth with Thomas Óg arriving at 3.25am on September 2. Joeline Godfrey followed up with little Sorcha at around 11am, and then at 8.30pm Phelim made an appearance, much to the relief of mum Bernie Ward.

Little Thomas Óg and Phelim were delivered by the same two members of the midwifery team.

Speaking on RTÉ News at One, Mairead Fitzpatrick said Mayo General Hospital had never before had a family on a multiple booking.

"We used to say to them there were four of us expecting but we just never realised it would all happen on the one day," she said.

"I was the first one to go at 3.25am, and then my sister had her section and her little girl, Sorcha, was born at 11am. And then Bernie’s boy, Phelim, was born last night at about half eight so I just think they couldn’t believe it."

It was Ms Fitzpatrick's first baby, her sister Joelyn's second, Bernie's third and Christina was waiting on her fourth to make an appearance.

"There's four girls, there's five of us altogether in the house, and one brother," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

"It was just so funny the way it happened."

Three sisters from Co Roscommon give birth on the same day https://t.co/4swUAC948W — RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 2, 2015