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'It was something new for him' - Dublin parents of LE Niamh baby hero
Parents of Conor Kilbride, John and Bernie
Army Cpl Conor Kilbride who is working as a medic on the LE Niamh
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The parents of the army medic who delivered a baby on board the LE Niamh say they are "chuffed" with their son.
Corporal Conor Kilbride (36) cut the cord to deliver baby Destiny aboard the Irish rescue ship in the middle of the Mediterranean sea on Tuesday.
Cpl Kilbride, from Swords, Dublin, was on duty for less than a week, as the navy continues its work of the LE Eithne rescuing migrants.
It was the first baby Cpl Kilbride delivered, and his mother Bernie told the Herald he had been thrown in at the deep end.
Surprised
"He wouldn't get fazed by that kind of thing, but it was certainly something new for him," she said.
"I was surprised because he had no experience of it. I think when he was doing his paramedic's course he had been brought into a delivery room once and shown how it was done, but that's as close as he got."
"He gave us a quick call the morning after he delivered the baby," said his father, John.
"He was absolutely delighted with himself, really thrilled."
Speaking to the Herald, Cpl Kilbride said: "I'm over the moon. It took me a long time to calm down and actually get some sleep afterwards," he said. "It was only later once things had calmed down and I was back in the room that I actually had time to think about what we actually did, and it hit home that we helped bring a child into the world."
Less than two days before, Cpl Kilbride's younger brother, Craig, became a father for the second time, so it's been a hectic few days for the household.
Careers in the army run in the family. Conor's great uncle, Matthew Farrell, was also a medic but was killed in the Congo.
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