Arlo Robert Emmett was born at Rotunda Hospital just after 12:04am last night.
Parents Nicole and Robert Emmett, from Ashbourne, Co. Meath, welcomed a baby boy who weighed 4.2kg.
On the other side of the country, midwives working through the night at Letterkenny Hospital in County Donegal welcomed baby Amelia at 12:13 a.m., just after midnight.
Baby Amelia was born to parents Daniel and Andrew in the village of St Johnstone, County Donegal, and weighed approximately 8.1 pounds or 3.67 kg.
Day staff midwife Camilla said there was a really special feeling in the entire maternity hospital today after hearing that baby Amelia was one of the first babies born in the country this year.
“It’s always special to welcome a little baby into the world, but especially on New Year’s Day, it’s so wonderful,” she told the Irish Independent.
Also in the west, a baby girl was born at Sligo University Hospital at 5am, and two more babies were born in County Mayo shortly after, at 5.10am and 5.27am.
Midwives on the ward at Cork University Maternity Hospital were busy all night, with seven births between 1am and 7am.
Tipperary parents Catherine O’Halloran and her partner Brian welcomed their first baby boy, who has not yet decided on a name, at 1.02am, weighing around 4kg.
The next baby was born to Sarah Coughlan and her partner Mike, from Killy, Co Cork, at 2:39am, weighing 3.380kg.
At 3.30am, mother Sara Altruxtani, from Ballincollig, Cork, welcomed her third baby, a boy named Sari, who weighed 3kg. Her fourth child was a baby girl born to mother Claire O’Brien from Rathgormac, Co. Waterford.
Joyal, the fifth newborn at the hospital that night, was a 3kg boy born at 7:03am. He was greeted by his mother, Jyoti Marottikare-Alexander, who lives in Carignavaar, Co. Cork.
Judy, clinical midwife manager of the hospital’s birthing unit, who is currently in charge of the hospital, said all the parents on the ward were “overjoyed” to see such healthy babies being born on the first day of the new year. “I’m doing it,” he said.
Seven babies were born in the early hours of January 1, and the nurses and midwives were “very happy” and headed home after their night shift, she said.
“We are preparing for the new year. We have had a busy season over Christmas and the past week. We hope this year will be healthy and good for everyone,” she said. added.