Just a midnight note of thanks to everybody for the many, many good wishes that have come in here on the arrival of baby Caoilfhionn!

It has been some week:

– On Monday we cast the spear in Dublin Bay with the assistance of the Irish Naval Service

– On Wednesday we travelled to London to visit the House of Commons and met Vernon Croker MP, Baroness Harris and Lord Kennedy with a view to having a Dublin exhibition there

– On Thursday at 9.13am baby Caoilfhionn arrived!

Not your typical week…

For those that are interested the full SP on previous babies born during the term of office of a Lord Mayor is as follows:

Baby (name unknown) born to Lord Mayor Richard Smyth and his wife in January 1824.

The Aldermen and Councillors clubbed together to buy either ‘a piece of plate or a silver cradle value £100, in testimony of our congratulations to them upon a recent happy event’.

Sylvester Louis Byrne, born 7 September 1934 to Lord Mayor Alfie Byrne and his wife. The baby was their youngest child and was named in recognition of his father’s papal knighthood, the Grand Cross of Saint Sylvester. In practice, he was always called Louis. The baby received two valuable gifts: a solid silver tea-tray, engraved with the Lord Mayor’s arms, from a group of 120 journalists, from all of the country’s major newspapers ‘as a mark of appreciation of Alderman Byrne’s constant courtesy and kindness to journalists’. Louis also received a silver cradle from the staff of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes.

Sinead Paul Mitchell was born in the Mansion House to Lord Mayor Jim Mitchell and his wife Patsy Mitchell. When Sinead was born a telephone call of congratulations came from the Vatican, followed by a gift of rosary beads from Pope Paul VI – the baby’s second name is in his honour. Dr. Paddy Hillery, President of Ireland, also telephoned with his congratulations and Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave sent his son around to the Mansion House with a lovely little dress for the baby.