Little Ameerat is first Clare baby of 2012

The first Clare baby of 2012 was delivered in Meelick after a Nigeria-born mother-of-three unexpectedly gave birth to a baby girl at about 10am on January 1.
Aishat Yahaya had baby Ameerat delivered at the Asylum Seeker Accommodation Centre in Knockalisheen, Meelick, without any major complication and both of them were brought by ambulance to St Munchin’s Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick, arriving at about 11.30am on January 1.
She said it was nice to have one of the first babies born in the new year. Aishat arrived at the accommodation centre in Meelick in March 2010 and has three other children aged six, four and two respectively. Baby Ameerat weighed six pounds and five ounces at birth.
The second Clare baby was born at 2.36pm to Clarecastle mother Vicky Howard. The record for the bounciest new year baby  at the Regional went to Kyle Kennedy, born to Edel and Jeremy Kennedy from Kilmallock, County Limerick. The bundle of joy arrived at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick, weighing 11lb 1oz, just 45 minutes after midnight. Kyle was also the first baby born in the Mid-West.
The second baby in the Mid-West came after Deirdre Mulally delivered a baby boy, Larry at 10.26am. Deirdre and Fran Mulally live in Caherdavin, Limerick and Larry weighed nine pounds and four ounces at birth.
Just two minutes later, Grace Broderick, Fr Russell Road, Limerick gave birth to a baby boy weighing six pounds two ounces, much to the delight of his father, Ross.
The seventh Mid-West birth of the new year came later in the evening when Aileen Frawley gave birth to twins – Eimear weighing seven pounds and two ounces at 4.47pm with Liam, weighing six pounds and one ounce a minute later. Aileen and James live in Castletroy, Limerick.
A spokeswoman for the midwifery unit described the number of deliveries as “steady” compared to the typical average of about 10 deliveries, which can go up as high as 21 on an extremely busy 24-hour period.
There were 5,176 deliveries in St Munchin’s in 2011, which was very similar to the overall number in 2010.