Not just a fad! An estimated 40,000 baby showers take place in Ireland every year

That's a lot of party poppers.

When I had my baby shower in 2012 it was the first one that most of my friends and family had attended. Fast forward eight years and baby showers are now as commonplace in Ireland as they are in the United States. Still, I would never have thought that tens of thousands of baby showers take place in Ireland every year, but research shows that approximately 40,000 showers are thrown every year. Yes, according to Aptaclub.ie, there are now approximately 40,000 baby showers taking place in Ireland each year. Surprisingly, even though Dublin has the largest population is does not throw the most baby showers – with Wicklow revealed as the premier baby shower county. Over 76 per cent of people surveyed in Wicklow have had a baby shower, compared to 63 per cent in Dublin and 60 per cent in Cork. Tipperary was shown to throw the fewest baby showers, with only 53 per cent of parents surveyed there having had a baby shower. If you've ever thrown a baby shower for a friend or relative you're not alone, as over half of all baby showers organised in Ireland are arranged by a friend or family member of the expectant parent. While my husband didn't get too involved on the day of my baby shower he was still there, as were other male family members. This, however, does not seem to be the norm with only one in five of those surveyed believing that men should be invited to join in a baby shower. Over the last decade, people in Ireland searching for information about baby showers on the internet has risen by 40 per cent, which may be in part due to Irish celebrity mums like Vogue Williams and Rosanna Davison setting the trend. Whatever the reason for the rise in Irish baby showers, it seems like they are far from a fad and aren't going anywhere any time soon. To find out more about baby showers in your area you can visit the Aptaclub interactive map.