The quintuplets born to a Co Wexford couple four months ago have finally been discharged from Dublin's Rotunda Hospital.
The last of the children, the State's only quins, were taken home to Bridgetown by their parents, Kevin and Veronica Cassidy, on Thursday.
Three of the babies, Conor, Rory and Cian, were discharged on different dates last month but their two sisters, Amy and Dearbhail, who had the lowest birth weight, remained in hospital until last week.
The babies were delivered at just over 25 weeks by caesarean section on August 16th. They weighed between 600g and 780g (1 lb 5 oz to 1 lb 11 oz).
Speaking on RT╔'s Marian Finucane show yesterday, their mother, Veronica, said the two girls would still be on oxygen for two to three months but were feeding well.
She described the constant drama of nappy-changing and feeding in her home. "You are no sooner finished feeding five of them when you would have a half an hour to 40 minutes in between and you start all over again. That's just changing, feeding, that's not even bathing them," she said. It took up to an hour to feed each one, adding that they used 30 bottles a day and at least as many nappies.
"The washing machine is always on the go. At the moment we have home help and one full-time lady who comes in at night, which is organised by the South Eastern Health Board, and we are still looking for more full-timers".
Neighbours and family were very helpful, but she needed two full-time staff day and night, she said. She thanked the many people who had made donations to a special account opened at the Custom's House Quay branch of Bank of Ireland in Wexford town to help raise the quins.
The account number of the Bank of Ireland Cassidy Quintuplets Fund is 38798142, sort code 906718.