Christmas joy for couple as they welcome baby Cathail

5 January 2022

A BALLYHORNAN couple have welcomed the birth of baby son Cathail on Christmas Day.

He was one of the first babies to be born in Northern Ireland on the special day.

Cathail is the first child of Emma Walsh and her partner James Cormican, who have just moved to Ballyhornan from Killough.

Cathail was born at 7.16am on Christmas morning at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, weighing in at an impressive 7lb 9oz.

For new mum Emma, while Cathail was four days overdue, he still made a surprise appearance.

She explained that while the couple were getting carpet laid in their new home on the Tullyronan Road on Christmas Eve morning, she experienced some early signs of labour.

“We got the keys to our new house on Wednesday before Christmas and we just had literally moved in when I started having pains,” explained 24 year-old Emma.

“We joked that the reason that I went into labour was that the house was nearly finished and Cathail knew it was time to come.

“The whole time I was pregnant, people would ask when I was due and I told them that knowing my luck I will be in on Christmas Day.

“I used to say that the baby would end up getting their Christmas presents and birthday presents all on the one day but that was just the day that Cathail decided to be born.”

Emma and James, a 25 year-old mechanic from Kilclief, travelled up to the hospital around 7pm on Christmas Eve.

But while midwives confirmed that Emma was indeed in labour, the baby was unlikely to arrive at that time and she was sent home to rest.

She explained: “My waters broke as soon as we got home around 10pm so we had to turn around and go back to hospital again.”

Emma was delighted that James was allowed to be with her throughout the labour and delivery.

Both mother and baby were well enough to be allowed home later on Christmas Night where she and James enjoyed a late Christmas dinner courtesy of Emma’s parents.

Baby Cathail was impeccably behaved on his first night at home.

“I said to James on Christmas Night, that this is not too bad if he continues like this, but the second night he got going,” laughed Emma.

Emma is well known in the Downpatrick area from working in her father Charlie’s shop, Walsh’s Costcutter, in the Flying Horse estate.

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