SEÁN SHOWS JOANIE EXACTLY WHERE SHE WAS BORN!
SEÁN RECALLS 1989 DELIVERY DRAMA IN THE FRONT SEAT OF A VW BEETLE
ON AUGUST 7, 1989, a lady gave birth to a baby outside the garda station in Newtownmountkennedy, with the assistance of Sgt Seán Tiernan, a passing motorist, and the child’s father.
Last week, the local man, retired some 20 years, got the chance to meet that baby girl and show Joanie Edge the spot where she was delivered. Her birth made the front page of the Wicklow People at the time, and both Seán and Joanie have copies of the newspaper from that week.
It was Joanie’s partner, another Seán, who managed to contact the retired sergeant and arrange the meet-up.
They had been in touch with Wicklow Garda Station with their story, and were directed to Seán, who still lives in Newtownmountkennedy.
At the time of Joanie’s birth, mum Lorraine lived in Ashford with her partner Paul Walker. The family later moved to England, and last week Joanie was touring Wicklow with her partner.
Seán Tiernan brought them to the very spot where Joanie was born in the front seat of a VW Beetle.
The couple had been trying to make their way to Holles Street hospital to welcome their second child into the world, but the traffic had other ideas.
The team of midwives attending their patient had Y-chromosomes in common, with a female garda imparting advice by phone from the station in Wicklow. Sgt Tiernan, a father of five himself, was more than up to the task.
He had charged down the lawn and jumped the wall to get to the family, who were brought to hospital later by ambulance.
Joanie came into the world a bouncing, healthy girl of 7lb 9oz and a it was a unique experience for Newtown’s local sergeant.