'It had to be done' - dad delivers baby girl on street after hospital dash

A father who helped his partner deliver their baby on a street in Clogher, County Tyrone has said it "had to be done".

Tony Donnelly thought there was time to drive to the hospital in Enniskillen, after Kelsey Clarke's waters broke at their home, but the baby quickly began to make an appearance.

"There was a lot going through my head. I was trying to stay calm to not make Kelsey panic but emotions were very high on my end," Mr Donnelly said.

Despite the birth taking place in the front seat of their car, Ms Clarke said it was all "straightforward" as they welcomed their baby girl, Jessie, into the world.

"I didn't think that he would be fit to do it at all but he did shock me," Ms Clarke told BBC News NI.

"He stayed very calm but I'm the type of person that if someone was panicking with me then I would panic too."

Mr Donnelly, whose story was first reported in the Impartial Reporter, called for an ambulance after he delivered the baby, and they reassured them "everything will be fine".

He admits that he tried joking with them to keep himself calm and Ms Clarke "at peace".

Mr Donnelly said when the paramedics then took Ms Clarke in the ambulance with the baby and he followed them up the road.

After arriving at the hospital, Jessie was checked and Mr Donnelly said "everything was brilliant", with her weighing 8lb.

He said they were at the hospital at about 04:15 GMT and left at about 13:00 GMT the same day.

Speaking of Jessie's siblings - Kailyn, Jaxon and Darci - Mr Donnelly told BBC News NI they were all "very excited" and just "doted" on their little sister.

Mr Donnelly explained a similar had happened with their second youngest, who was born within three minutes of them arriving at the hospital.

The word of baby Jessie's arrival has travelled fast around the village.

"Everybody is stopping me and congratulating me, and saying 'Oh I'd never be able to do that, I don't know how you kept your calm and was able to do it'," Mr Donnelly said.

"And I was like well it had to be done and I was the only other one there."

As someone who runs a car breakdown recovery business, delivering a baby is not usually part of his day job and therefore came as a "big change".

"It's something that I never ever dreamt of being in that situation and I'm not going to lie but if I had the choice I probably wouldn't be in that situation again.

"But if it comes to the crunch and it had to be done, I would do it."