The first Irish baby of 2016 made his appearance at 11 seconds past midnight at University Maternity Hospital in Limerick.
Baby Kieran Patrick Gibbons was delivered by Caesarean section and weighed 8lbs 3oz.
His mother Jennifer O'Neill and father Mark Gibbons are from Dooradoyle, in Limerick city.
Mr Gibbons posted a picture of his son on Facebook with the comment: “So we’re out in the hospital, and in the middle of all the chaos this fella arrives on the scene, roaring his head off. I got talking with him and he seems sound out in fairness...so we’re going to keep him. We’ll make formal introductions later.”
A delighted Ms O’Neill said the labour took almost 48 hours.
“It started at 1am on Wednesday morning and it finished up at 11 seconds past midnight today,” she said after enjoying some post-labour tea and toast.
“We’re thrilled, absolutely delighted,” said Ms O’Neill, who is a pharmacy technician at Robert’s Pharmacy on O’Connell Street, Limerick.
“He was due on New Year’s Day, so he kept to that,” she added.
Proud father Mr Gibbons was “gone home to have a rest”.
Six babies were born in the first five hours of New Year’s Day at the Limerick hospital, including baby Nora Shoer at eight minutes past midnight. Her mother Emma Jane is from Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Lynnette O’Connell, from Clonlara, Co Clare delivered her fourth baby at 4.48am.
Bridget McCormack, assistant director of midwifery at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, said: “It is a special day.”
“Most days here are great days, but it is really lovely for the first New Year’s baby to be born in our hospital,” Ms McCormack added.
In Dublin, Baby Gabriella Doncova was delivered at the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street at 21 seconds past midnight.
New master of the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, Prof Fergal Malone, welcomed its first baby of the new year a few minutes later at 12.03am.
Baby boy Zac, weighing 4.4kg (9.8lbs) was born to parents Leanne Byrne and Keith Caprani.
At the Coombe hospital, HannahAdebusayo Adeoye was born at 12.14am. She weighed 2.97 kilos (6lbs 9oz).
Her parents are Michelle and Kehinde Adeoye, who live in Dublin with Baby Adeoye’s two older sisters and older brother.
Six babies were born at the Coombe between midnight and 5am and some 30 babies were born there on Thursday alone.
In Cork, the first baby of 2016 was a boy born at 00.13am at Cork University Maternity Hospital but the family have requested privacy and no details were released regarding the new arrival.
The first baby was one of three boys born at CUMH overnight with the second baby being born at 5.38am and the third at 8.21am before the first girl of the New Year in Cork was born at 10.40am.
The Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar delivered five New Year’s Day babies between midnight and 9am on Friday.
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