Dublin dad tells of moment daughter born on NY street

Baby Ila McCourt's entry into the world couldn't be more high-profile – she was born on the streets of New York with news crews filming everything.

And while Ila might be relaxed enough about the events, it certainly proved a shock for her mother Polly and her Dublin dad Cian.

Polly went into labour in the couple's apartment in the city's Upper East Side and only made it as far as the street outside before giving birth.

Her husband Cian (40) who studied in Trinity and DIT, was stuck in the 2.4km-long Lincoln Tunnel when he got the call to rush back.

He arrived three minutes after his daughter came into the world. And the sight of a large group surrounding his wife made Cian think something awful had happened.

"I saw a crowd on the corner, and I feared the worst," he said.

Among the crowd was a woman, Isabelle, who had given her coat so Polly could be more comfortable.

"She had to go home without a coat on. She gave my husband her phone number and he lost it in the commotion. We want to be able to contact her and say thanks," Polly (39) said.

The couple called their daughter Ila Isabelle McCourt, choosing the middle name in honour of the stranger's kindness.

The birth was captured by a passing news van and has made headlines round the world.

STUDIES

Mother and daughter were rushed to hospital a short time later where Ila Isabelle weighed in at over 7lbs.

Cian, who attended secondary school in Gonzaga College in Ranelagh before going on to third level studies, is resident partner in New York with law firm A&L Goodbody.

He has been based there since 2011.

SOURCE-HERALD