Dermot and Dorothy Moynihan at Dublin Airport, after bringing their baby son Luke home from Ukraine.

Nine-day-old baby Luke Moynihan woke up on Thursday morning safely at home in Co Kerry with his parents Dermot and Dorothy, after a frantic mission to bring him home succeeded just ahead of the Russian invasion. 

Just two days before, the Moynihans were in Lviv, scrambling for emergency travel documents to bring their baby home before the military invasion began.

Mr Moynihan said it had been a surreal journey of “intense emotions” from when Luke was born in Lviv last week to touching down on Irish soil with their precious cargo on Tuesday.

Despite advice for surrogate parents not to travel to Ukraine, Mr Moynihan said, like a lot of parents in similar situations, they felt they needed to be there. The couple flew to Lviv last Wednesday and were “absolutely over the moon” to meet baby Luke for the first time.

“Our solicitor Tracy Horan, other people like Annette Hickey and Mary Seery Kearney, were working together to get us out in a timely fashion, and the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] really worked through the night and around the clock,” he said.

The couple had planned to stay in Ukraine a few extra days, but a call over the weekend from their solicitor warned them to evacuate Ukraine as soon as possible.

It was really all go, it was very dramatic, to get emergency documentation for Luke to be able to leave the country.” 

A DFA official flew into Lviv to personally deliver emergency passport documentation to the couple on Monday, and they immediately rushed to the airport.

“It was very dramatic, going to the airport at top speed, and rushing through. We had to convince them in security that the paperwork was okay, there were some negotiations, there was a lot of talking, but eventually we got through and got on to the plane. Luke slept all the way through, he was absolutely amazing,” said Mr Moynihan.

He said they were both near to sobbing when they arrived in London, so close to home.

“We got to the hotel, and Luke gave us a big smile, and we thought, wow, this is incredible.” 

On Tuesday morning, the Moynihan family got home.

“We hit Irish soil, and even now I feel emotional talking about it, it was just incredible. We were exhausted. We landed and we were crying. Going through that last security gate, when they said welcome home, it was amazing,” said Mr Moynihan.

“We made our way down from Dublin to Kerry, and we called to all our family and friends, there was huge emotion.” 

The couple has spent the last few days up and down to Dublin, sorting out paperwork for Luke. Mr Moynihan spoke to the Irish Examiner from their car, with Luke sitting in the back seat.

“It was an incredibly long road, and we were extremely lucky. I’m sitting in the car now looking at him in the back, we just changed him. And he's just a dream come true for us really, a beautiful bundle of joy,” he said.

Mr Moynihan said their thoughts are now with other parents, and the people of Ukraine, caught in the middle of conflict.

“We are incredibly lucky. I know there are other parents that are still there, we are in contact with them, we're feeling for them, they're really the ones that now have to work very hard to get out. 

"They're the ones we're thinking of today, and the people of Ukraine, our friends in Lviv. We're just feeling for those people, it was a massive shock to hear the news that they were attacked overnight, it's terrible,” he said.

Read MoreEU leaders agree new sanctions on Russia's financial, energy and transport sectors

Sign up to to get the latest news direct to your inbox daily at 1pm

Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence

Select your favourite newsletters and get the best of Irish Examiner delivered to your inbox

© Irish Examiner Ltd, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712.