Cork's Claudia Rose and husband Sean looking forward to celebrating Romeo's first Christmas at home

A little bit dramatic –just like his mum!

That’s how Cork actress and singer Claudia Rose Long describes her six-month-old son Romeo, who recently spent five nights in CUH where it was originally feared he had either sepsis or meningitis.

Claudia is being her typical upbeat and positive self, but nonetheless, describes the experience as initially terrifying for herself and her husband, Cork City striker Sean Maguire.

“I remember he woke up that morning and everything was totally fine.

“Sean brought him downstairs for his porridge, which is his normal routine, but he felt something wasn’t quite right.

“He ran upstairs with him in his arms and said he felt Romeo was acting weird,” remembers Claudia, 27.

She recalled how Romeo was trembling.

“He was shivering, so initially I thought he was just really cold.

“He wasn’t even crying, just sort of whinging. I called my mum, and she held him, and in that moment we just knew we had to get him to the doctor.

“I don’t know why we were even saying those words, it was just a feeling we had.

“Mum and Sean rushed him to CUH A&E and I followed on after gathering some bottles and other things I thought we might need,” said Claudia.

En route, she also called an ambulance.

“It seems stupid now as Romeo was already on his way to hospital, but I just didn’t know what to do, and I wasn’t sure if we were just fussing.

“I think women can be fobbed off a lot when it comes to their health, with a lot of things put down to hormones, and in my head I was thinking ‘Oh, I’m after becoming one of those fussy mothers’,” she said.

However, by the time Claudia got to CUH, Romeo was after rapidly deteriorating.

“He was in and out of consciousness and needed oxygen, he was screaming, he had turned blue. The nurses and doctors were fantastic but even they seemed panicked, which made things even scarier,” said Claudia.

Conditions like sepsis and meningitis were mentioned, but a urine sample revealed Romeo had a urinary tract infection (UTI).

“I had no idea that the symptoms of a UTI could be so severe, but this can be the case in a small baby,” said Claudia.

Fortunately, Romeo then responded well to medication.

“Once he had his first round of antibiotics, he bounced back and it was almost like he had been pretending to be sick – it was unbelievable!

“He’s a bit dramatic, like myself! But he spent five nights in hospital altogether, for the infection to clear completely,” she said.

The couple’s stay in hospital gave them a newly-discovered respect for those who find themselves in similar situations, and for longer stretches.

“I’ll admit it was tough going, and we were lucky as we knew Romeo was going to be fine.

“It was hard being trapped in a small room, and it was a very intense experience. I take my hat off to people who have to do this,” she said.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Claudia said she always took with a pinch of salt that notion of a ‘mother’s instinct’.

“But I think it’s because you’re so protective of your little ones that you’re just not prepared to take any chance.”

And that’s her advice to any other new mums too: “Don’t doubt yourself, just don’t take that chance if you feel your baby is a little off.

“For peace of mind, get them checked out.”

Claudia and Sean met on Tinder when Sean was first playing for Cork City, and have been a couple since 2016, marrying two years ago.

They lived in the UK for the past seven years, and most recently Sean played for Carlisle.

However, the trio moved back to Cork in August, when he signed back with Cork City FC.

“Sean was considering other teams in the UK and elsewhere but it would have meant he’d be away from us for four or five days a week.

“We had always ultimately planned to move back to Cork anyway, so we decided to do it a bit prematurely,” said Claudia.

They are currently living with her parents, Rose and Gerard, in Ballyphehane, and couldn’t be happier.

“Since we stepped back on Irish soil, it’s like this weight has been lifted off our shoulders. I can’t describe it.

“All my family live a few doors from us and the support and help has been invaluable in helping to get settled back into life in Cork.”

Claudia is known for her role in The Young Offenders, and for her time on the TV talent show, The Voice UK.

She’s slowly easing herself back into her work in Cork, doing the occasional singing, dancing and drama classes.

“I’m just dipping my toe in for now and for 2025 it will be full steam ahead.

“I already have lots of weddings booked in.”

Sean is also planning to open a youth football academy in the new year with fellow Cork City striker Ruairí Keating, and is undertaking a strength and conditioning degree.

In between all of that, they’ve purchased a property at The Lough and are undertaking a major renovation.

“It’s a massive job. But I love interiors and, if I wasn’t performing, it would be my dream job, I’ve always wanted a project like this.

“Having said that, I never planned on doing it with a newborn.

“My friends joke that I do everything the hard way and they might be right!

“But both of us are very industrious and once we knew we’re putting down roots in Cork, we wanted to get a plan in place.

“It was crazy to think we ever considered staying in England with Romeo, when the support we have here is so incredible.

“We joke that Romeo will think Sean and I are his brother and sister and my mum and dad are his parents!” she laughs.

For now, the family are looking forward to Romeo’s first Christmas and their own first one in Cork in eight years.

“We’ll spend it at home – just a typical Christmas Day with nice food, TV, and games.

“My nan, aunt and uncle and cousins live around the corner so we’ll spend some of the day with them as well.

“Sean’s from Kilkenny and his family will probably come the following day and we’ll do it all over again!”

Claudia says she’s definitely not one for New Year’s resolutions.

“I actually find that if I make one, it sways me from it!

“Instead, I prefer to stay open-minded about the year ahead,” she added.

“So many positive things happened this year, and I just hope it stays that way for 2025.”