It has been the busiest summer on record at the Coombe Women's Hospital, Dublin, with over 2,100 children being born.
The master of the hospital, Dr Seán Daly, said they would usually have an average of 670 births a month during the summer period. But this July the hospital recorded 745 births and 718 in August.
It is unclear if the record number was as a result of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, putting a cap of 700 on the number of deliveries it would cater for during the summer.
Asked if this was a factor, Dr Daly said he did not know. "We are living in a part of Dublin where more and more people are moving into."
The master of the Rotunda Hospital, Dr Michael Geary, said his hospital also had a busier summer than usual.
He added that since last year's citizenship referendum the number of immigrants arriving unbooked at the hospital and in labour had fallen to "a handful".
Dr Daly said 8,016 babies were born in the Coombe last year to women from 92 countries. It was the highest number of deliveries in the history of the hospital.
He was speaking at the opening by Minister for Health Mary Harney of the first phase of a €20-million capital development programme.