Lord of the Dance
Irish village with population of just 550 celebrates 30 new arrivals in just one year
Life & Style

Irish village with population of just 550 celebrates 30 new arrivals in just one year

A SEASIDE village in Co. Donegal marked Father’s Day by celebrating a recent baby boom that saw the arrival of 30 babies in just 11 months.

Residents of Rathmullan welcomed 15 baby boys and 15 baby girls between February and December 2016 – an impressive feat for a village of just 550.

Two babies were born in February, one in March, one in April, two in May, two in June, five in July, five in August, three in September, one in October, three in November, and five in December.

Village administrator Katrina Tasker said that residents of Rathmullan have no explanation for the sudden surge.

“We noticed last year that there were so many baby bumps appearing around the place,” she said.

“So we sat down and decided to county how many there were, and from that discovered that 30 babies were born in Rathmullan between February and December.

“Rathmullan is a very small place so it’s incredible that there’s so many.”

Residents of Rathmullan marked the unusual baby boom with a Vintage Tea Party in the village’s District Resort Centre on Sunday.

The village, which is renowned for its blue-flag beaches and stunning sea views, has never seen such a surge before.

Ms Tasker added: “Ten babies were born in July and August, so it must have been all those cold winter nights and Christmas parties in 2015!”