Families all over the country are making room for all the new gifts they took delivery of today, but none will be happier than those who welcomed new babies into the world.
At Kerry Hospital Hospital one family got a special double early Christmas present, in the form of twins.
William and Victoria from Glenbay were born at 52 and 53 minutes past midnight.
Weighing 1.1 and 1.5 kilogrammes they were a somewhat unexpected delivery in time for the big day.
Other early arrivals included a baby boy, born to Jane Collins, of Adare, Co. Limerick at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital.
Baby Collins, who has not yet been named, weighed in at 2.98 kilogrammes and entered the world at 1.38am.
In Dublin, at exactly the same time, baby Amelia Lynch was born at the Rotunda Hospital weighing 3.24 kilogrammes,.while at Waterford Regional Hospital, baby Laila Cullen was the county's first arrival at 2.15am.