RTE's Katie Hannon feels grateful to see twin girls thriving as teenagers after premature births

The RTE presenter faced a tough time in 2010 when her twin girls were born prematurely but 14 years later they are thriving and have the same passion for politics as their mum

Katie Hannon says her twins mean everything to her and she feels so grateful to see them thriving as teenagers after being born prematurely.

The RTE presenter and her husband Andrew Fitzpatrick became parents to baby girls in 2010 but they had to stay in hospital for six weeks as they were born two months premature.

In the weeks after they got their daughters home, Andrew's dad and Katie's mum sadly passed away. Looking back on those times, Katie says she believes in the popular saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

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She said: "I suppose it's just resilience. And now, when I look back on it all, I'm still amazed at what you are capable of getting through."

Katie loves her work as a TV and radio presenter for RTE's current affairs team, but being a mum is her favourite job.

"Oh my God, My twins are everything to me, such that I can't even put into words what I get from them. There are times I just want to freeze time and keep them at the age they are at because it seems the perfect age. But I realise then that they are perfect at every age," she said.

"There are times now I find it hard to believe how tiny they once were during all those days in the special care unit, watching them, worrying about them."

Katie feels because she was older when she became a mum, she learned a newfound sense of appreciation for life.

She added to the RTE Guide: "I had done a lot of my living before they arrived, and they weren't keeping me out of nightclubs [laughs]. And they have made every day since special for me. I sometimes pinch myself as a reminder of how lucky we are."

Katie's twins have inherited her interest of politics and current affairs.

"They know more about politics than most of their peers because I have subjected them to Morning Ireland every morning as they get ready for school. The only election I have ever missed was 2011 because I was on maternity leave but the twins, who were babies, got to watch the entire election from the sofa with me," the Kerry native explained.

But Katie doesn't see her children following in her footsteps.

"While they are into politics and current affairs, I don't see or hear them talking about going into journalism or broadcasting or anything like that. They'll find their own way, I'm sure, and get a real job!"

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