The first baby born in 2026 was delivered at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin’s north inner city just seconds after midnight.
Elliot was welcomed at 35 seconds past midnight, weighing 3.65kg (8lbs 1oz). His parents are Rachel and Adam Deak from Rathnew, Co Wicklow.
Millie Elizabeth Kelleher was born at 40 seconds past midnight at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin weighing 2.9kg (6lbs 6oz).
Her parents, Sally and John Kelleher live in Naas, Co Kildare and she is their second child, with her older brother Max aged 20 months.
Ms Kelleher is originally from Naas while Mr Kelleher is from Tarbert in Co Kerry.
At the Coombe Hospital in Dublin, Kash was born at two minutes past midnight, weighing 3.8kg (8lbs 5oz). His parents, Rebecca and Keane Burke, are from Dublin 8 and he is the couple’s second child.
Leo McNamee, weighing 3.65kg (8lbs 1oz), was delivered at five minutes past midnight at the Coombe Hospital also, to parents Danielle and Troy, from Lucan, Co Dublin.
Anjali, weighing 3.1kg (6lbs 13oz), was also born at the hospital, six minutes after midnight. Her mother Ranjitha Sivakumar is from Dublin and Anjali is her second child.
Rosie-Lee Harkin, weighing 2.8kg (6lbs 1oz), was born at 10 seconds past midnight at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital to Natasha Byers and Daniel Larkin, from Lurgan, Co Armagh.
Meanwhile, Professor Jennifer Walsh has been inaugurated as the new master of the National Maternity Hospital for a seven-year term.
She is only the second female clinician to hold the role of master in the hospital’s 132-year history.
Prof Walsh has taken over from Professor Shane Higgins who will continue as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Holles Street.
Her first day in the role coincided with staff welcoming the first babies of the New Year. More than 7,000 babies were delivered at the hospital in 2025.