It was a busy Christmas around Cork city and county as thousands braved the elements on Christmas Day while others saved their energy for some early sales shopping.

Traditional Christmas Day swimmers were out in force across the county, with big crowds taking part in the Inchydoney and Myrtleville swims. Those events raised funds for Mozambique/Fr. John Kingston Mission and the Mercy Hospital Children's Leukaemia Unit respectively and were just two of many taking place.

On St Stephen’s Day, the attention shifted to the sales, with shoppers hitting the city early to grab a bargain.

Another person who arrived early was baby Freya from Farran, who was so keen to arrive at Christmas she caught parents Ed Long and Karen Kellegher by surprise.

Freya was born at home at 2am on Christmas morning, with the help of the Domino midwife scheme.

"Freya decided that Christmas Day was the day that she was going to arrive into the world and did it a bit faster than her mammy and daddy expected," said proud dad Ed.

The first baby born in the CUMH on Christmas morning was a little boy, Darragh, born to mum Anise Moynihan from Newtownshandrum at eleven minutes past midnight.