Apart from ringing in the New Year’s a number of Kilkenny families had cause to celebrate even more with the birth of eight new babies, five boys and three girls, in the early hours of New Year’s Day at Kilkenny’s St Luke’s General Hospital.
A baby girl born to Wieslawa Wrona from Callan Co Kilkenny was the first Kilkenny baby to be born this year, arriving at 1.30am. Two more girls followed, with proud parents Aoife O’Doherty from Birr Co Offaly and Linda Duffy from Tullow, Co Carlow giving birth to their beautiful little bundles at 2.23am and 10.12am respectively.
The first Kilkenny boy of the year was born later in the day at 3.45pm to Catherine Phelan from Woodsgift, Urlingford Co Kilkenny. He was followed by four more boys at 5.48pm to Niamh O’ Brien of Templemore, Co Tipperary; at 6.06pm to Cathy Holden from Ballyraggett, Co Kilkenny; at 8.36pm to Ann-Marie Lytte from Ballyraggett, Co Kilkenny and at 10.37pm to Alex Noonan from Callan Co. Kilkenny. There were two babies born in the hospital on Thursday December 25.
In total 25 babies were born on New Year’s Day in four hospitals in the south-east region including, St Luke’s Hospital, Waterford Regional Hospital, Wexford Regional Hospital and South Tipperary General Hospital.
St Luke’s General Hospital for Kilkenny/Carlow recorded 1,637 births up until the end of September. Subject to final 2008 figures being confirmed, the Health Services Executive anticipates that the previous year’s figures of 1,893 new babies will be surpassed.
