Social Democrats leader and election candidate Holly Cairns has given birth to a baby girl on the day of the Irish General Election.

The Cork South-West candidate posted a picture of her holding her baby to Instagram with the caption “she’s here”.

“We’re completely in love with her,” she said, signing the message off from herself and her partner.

Ms Cairns described being heavily pregnant while running for election in a “competitive” constituency and also leading a political party as a “juggling act”.

“If I could pick, I wouldn’t pick this timing,” she said on the first week of the three-week election campaign. “It’s not ideal, but it is what it is.”

She has not taken part in the final two weeks of campaigning, with deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan stepping in for her in the 10-way televised leaders debate on RTE.

“I think this will become a normal part of politics for years to come, where it would just be normal for politicians in senior positions to be pregnant and have children,” he said ahead of that debate.

Ms Cairns, 35, became leader of the Social Democrats in March last year after party co-founders Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy stepped aside.

The party won six seats in the 2020 general election and are aiming to make gains in the vote on Friday.