SOCIAL DEMOCRATS LEADER Holly Cairns has said she is “overjoyed” to share news of her pregnancy.

The Cork South-West TD announced her pregnancy on social media this afternoon with a photo on Facebook of herself and her partner Barry Looney, joking that the happy news had been “quite literally” getting “harder to keep under wraps” over recent weeks.

“I am overjoyed to let you know that my partner Barry and I are expecting a baby,” she said, adding that it’s a girl.

“We are so happy and feel so lucky because this is something we have wanted for a long time.”

She added that she’s “definitely not the first woman to juggle work and a baby”, but paid thanks to her party which she said has “so supportive of parents and passionate” about making sure more women can enter politics.

“While I’m delighted to share this news now, I was initially hesitant because like so many other couples hoping to start a family, ours has not been a straightforward journey. But all the signs look good for this pregnancy so we are really hopeful.”