Christmas Day baby delivered on roadside in Co Cork

Mother and child both doing well after dramatic delivery en route to hospital

Rachel Harte posing with her baby girl, Sienna, at Cork University Maternity Hospital on Christmas Day. Photograph: Eddie O’Hare
Rachel Harte posing with her baby girl, Sienna, at Cork University Maternity Hospital on Christmas Day. Photograph: Eddie O’Hare

Proud parents Rachel Harte and Matthew Cheung are relaxing after the dramatic delivery of their baby girl on the side of a road on Christmas morning.

The couple from Rosscarbery in west Cork were driving through Clonakilty, on their way to Cork University Maternity Hospital, when Ms Harte's waters broke.

They were being driven by Mr Cheung’s father and had called for an ambulance as they felt it was unlikely Ms Harte would make it all the way to the hospital in the city.

But as the ambulance was travelling to meet them, they spotted another ambulance in Bandon where paramedics were treating a patient.

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They mistook it for the one being sent for Ms Harte and stopped on the main road outside Bandon where the paramedics came to Ms Harte’s assistance as she went into labour.

With help from the two paramedics and a local Garda, Ms Harte gave birth to little Sienna in the back of her father-in-law’s car at the roadside in Bandon at 11.25am on Christmas Day.

Weighing in at a healthy 7.5 lbs, Sienna was then taken to the maternity hospital where she and her mum were checked over by the doctors who pronounced everyone in good health.

At the hospital, Ms Harte and Mr Cheung happily posed for pictures with baby Sienna whom they said was the best present that they could have asked for on Christmas morning.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times