A proud dad has revealed how his baby was delivered at an Applegreen after her mother went into labour on the way to hospital.
John Feane and Naomi Galvin were heading for the Coombe on Wednesday night when little Ellie decided to make an early entrance.
He said: “We went from the classic kind of noises that a pregnant lady makes to the full-on screaming.”
John pulled in to the Applegreen Service Station in Caragh, Co Kildare, where he called the emergency services and waited for the ambulance to arrive.
He told Brian Dobson on the News At One: “It was a lit-up area and I knew that if I was going to have to meet an ambulance they would be able to see me straight away.
“It was pretty much go time so you know we were told to get the towels and take the laces out of Naomi’s shoes in
the event that she did come before I had any help.”
A crew led by chief ambulance officer for North Leinster Richard Quinlan arrived at the Applegreen in the nick of time to help deliver the beautiful baby after 6pm.
Richard said: “John was helping Naomi as best he could and once the second officer arrived it was very imminent – baby was coming.
“We had all of the equipment except for we didn’t have a warm ambulance and that was the biggest concern at the time because it was cold and wet.”
After Ellie’s dramatic arrival, the ambulance crew transferred mother and baby to the Coombe.
New dad John thanked the staff there where mother and baby are said to be doing very well.
He added: “Everyone’s doing brilliantly and the Coombe is an absolutely fantastic place... the guys in there are very professional and are looking after them very well.”
John paid special tribute to the ambulance crew and said Mr Quinlan made “everyone at ease” on the night.
