Ulster Hospital has had a spooktacular day after the maternity ward welcomed three new babies into the world on Halloween.
Little pumpkins Anya MacAllister, Colleen Orr and Leo Ferguson were all born on Thursday, October 31, meaning their birthdays fall on Halloween.
As part of the celebrations, the parents of the new arrivals dressed the newborns up in their very first Halloween costumes.
One new arrival even had a special link to the Ulster Hospital as new mum Kathleen McClean from Bangor is the deputy sister in the hospital’s emergency department.
She and partner Ricky Orr welcomed baby Colleen Rose together.
Ricky and Kathleen alongside baby Colleen Rose
“We are ecstatic and over the moon, this is our first baby,” she said about her Halloween baby.
“We are looking forward to getting home and getting settled and seeing the rest of the family. She is just adorable, we are so lucky.”
Aoife McShane from Belfast was delighted with the birth of her daughter Anya on Thursday and welcomed the chance to get her dressed up to mark the special occasion, with little Anya dressed as pumpkin complete with tutu.
“I am so thrilled to welcome Anya into the world on Halloween, it is such a special day,” said Aoife.
“To be able to share in the fun and dress her up with her first Halloween costume, it makes this experience even more memorable.”
Baby Leo Ferguson
Bangor parents Laura and Darren Ferguson also welcomed baby Leo into the world with his first Halloween costume, and said the memory was something they both will cherish for many years to come.
According to a study from Yale University, being born on Halloween is more a treat than a trick, considering how rare the birthday is.
The study concluded that there are 5% fewer babies born on Halloween than any other day of the year (leap years included).