TWO PROUD PENGUIN parents at Dingle Oceanworld, Co Kerry, have hatched Ireland’s first ever gentoo penguin chick.

This chick is the first ever baby for mum Sneachta (4), and the second for dad Fletcher (7) who watched over the hatching.

After a hatching process of ten hours, the chick was finally born just after midnight last Wednesday.

The baby penguin weighed 116g (that’s less than an apple) at birth, and aquarium staff say it’s growing quickly.

Both parents took turns incubating the egg, and are now splitting the job of feeding and keeping the chick warm.

It's a little bit camera shy. Dingle Oceanworld Dingle Oceanworld

The new arrival has caused great excitement for the staff, with some staying up late into the night to watch the egg hatch.

It’s not yet known if the chick is a boy or a girl, as its DNA can’t be tested until it’s a couple of months old.

Here’s a video of the baby penguin at just three days old:

Previously: A wedding could be on the cards for Ireland’s first gay penguins>