In May 2015 a family, in County Mayo, celebrated the arrival of baby Saoirse Grace, the first female born into the family in 117 years.

Her proud parents Laurence and Leanne said the baby girl is a welcome addition to the family. Speaking to the Mayo News, the proud father, from Cahernagry, The Neale, living in Ballinrobe, said “I checked the census records from 1901 and the last girl to be born in the family was 1898 when my grand aunt Anne was born. Anne would have been Saoirse’s great grand aunt.”

May is the only child of his father Peter. This means that Saoirse Grace’s arrival marks the end of two generations of the family without females.

“My grandfather Laurence May was one of a family of six, two boys and four girls, the youngest of which was Anne May,” he explained.

The baby girl was born at University Hospital Galway. The local newspaper reported that her arrival caused her grandparents, Peter and Mary May and Liam and Margaret Murphy, to dash to the shops to buy pink.

Her father, Laurence, said “We didn’t know it was going to be a girl, it was a surprise…There’s great excitement, everyone was delighted.

“It’s funny because on Leanne’s side there’s a lot of girls. She has two sisters and one brother and three nieces.”

May said the family is looking forward to taking some time out and he’ll be getting used to being out-numbered by females for the first time in his life.

* Originally published in Aug 2015.