Baby Maeve, meets great, grandmother Eileen

First baby of 2019, Maeve meets her great grandmother who was born in 1918

John Donohoe

Published: Wed 9 Jan 2019, 1:55 PM

Last updated: Wed 9 Jan 2019, 1:56 PM

Just over one week old, and it's already been an eventful one for baby Maeve Montague, who hit headlines as soon as she entered this world.
And her trip home from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda saw her call in on another newsmaker – her great grandmother, Eileen Montague of Kilmessan, who made her own bit of history last year when she reached her 100th birthday.
Maeve is the first baby of 2019, born just three seconds into New Year's Day to Michelle Montague and her partner, Simon Cox. And every second counts in these matters… the next new year baby, born in the Coombe Hospital in Dublin, arrived a second later.

Michelle, 27, afterwards she was very surprised to learn that she has the first baby of 2019, as the child had been actually due on New Year's Eve. She first began having pains around 4am on 31st December and went to hospital a few hours later, little knowing that it would be the following day - just - before Maeve arrived.
“Everyone was saying 'it could be a new year's baby' and I was thinking 'God, I hope it's not that long,” Michelle said. “My family has a history of going quick.”
Michelle was on maternity leave from her job at Avoca in Dunboyne for two weeks before the arrival. Amid the excitement of Maeve's arrival it was only afterwards nursing staff remarked that the arrival time might make her the country's first of 2019.

“I didn't think it would be such a big deal,” Michelle said. “My phone hasn't stopped once - Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp...”
At 7.4 lbs, Maeve is the couple's first child, but Michelle's granny, Eileen, was taking it all in her stride, as it's her third great grandchild.
Her granddaughter, Hazel, has four-year-old son, Tyler, and another, Michelle has a 13 months-old baby, Lilly.
She was delighted last week to meet the new arrival, whose meeting with her great grandmother bridges a century and creates a whole new chapter in their family history.