Older Men Start Families Later in Life
New fathers are no longer so fresh-faced, as detailed in a recent report examining the growing demographic trend of older men having children.
Whether it is Ryan Tubridy announcing that he’s to become a father again at 53 or Eurovision winner Paul Harrington having his second child in 2019 at 60, starting a family later in life is not the surprise it once was. While female fertility has a natural ceiling, men are biologically capable of fathering children well into their 60s, 70s, and beyond. Notable examples include Al Pacino becoming a father again at 83 in 2023, Robert de Niro welcoming his daughter Gia that same year near his 80th birthday, and Mick Jagger welcoming his son Deveraux in 2016 at 73.
In everyday life, fathers in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are frequently seen at playgrounds pushing children on swings or helping them shovel sand. This shift is driven by second marriages and relationships, greater fertility options, and career demands, alongside external pressures like housing costs, mortgage requirements, and job insecurity that delay traditional milestones. Broader demographic changes also play a role, as overall life expectancy rises. In Ireland, the population of adults over 65 has grown by 35 per cent over the past decade—more than three times the growth rate of the general population—even as the national birth rate declines.
Healthcare Advances and Perspectives on Aging
While there is little official data on new fathers in Ireland, modern healthcare improvements continue to provide options for parents as they age.
“Sixty-five isn’t the same as 65 was 30 or 40 years ago,” psychologist Colman Noctor noted regarding the trend. “People are living longer. They’re probably being healthier and staying younger. So while I would imagine there are challenges and differences [to older parenting], I wouldn’t see huge disadvantages.”
For some, personal history shapes how they approach parenting later in life. Alex Kane, a 71-year-old journalist and political commentator who formerly served as communications director for the Ulster Unionist Party, was adopted at age six by Sam and Adelaide in east Belfast. His adoptive father was in his mid-50s at the time.
“He was just my dad,” Kane said. “A quiet man who knew that his role was to be the rock that I needed. Right until he died, when he was nearly 72, that was his role.”
Kane later became a parent when he partnered with Kerri, who was nearly 20 years his junior and had a two-year-old daughter named Megan. When Kane and Kerri later decided to have children together, they discussed the age gap. Kane recalled advice from a friend who told him not to let age be a barrier to happiness, noting that younger men face unpredictable health risks just as older individuals do.
Kane and Kerri’s son Indy turned nine in July, and their daughter Lilah turned 17 in October. Kane’s age has made him put a high premium on the time he has with his kids, structuring his freelance work schedule around their lives. “I make a point of going to school with them — leaving them off and picking them up. I make a point of weekends together. I never prioritise work before them,” Kane said.
Business Owner Transforms Routine for Late Child
For Dublin business owner Ciarán O’Sullivan, 51, delaying fatherhood stemmed from initial ambivalence about having children while he focused on his social life and career in his 20s. After marrying Eimear in 2018, the couple began trying for a family, ultimately welcoming their son Cameron in August 2020.
The arrival of a child transformed O’Sullivan’s daily routine, leading him to undergo knee surgery to keep up with his active son. “My cruciates were gone, so I got my knees done,” O’Sullivan said. “I got the first one done 30 years ago. When I went back, he [the doctor] said, ‘Why are you getting it done?’ I said, ‘I’ve a six-year-old who loves running and loves me running after him, so I want to be able to do that.’”
Declan McCarthy, 58, experienced a similar path. Growing up as the eldest of eight children in west Cork, McCarthy ran his family’s pub in Baltimore before working as a festival programmer for the Skibbereen Arts Festival and the Baltimore Fiddle Fair. For a long time, he assumed parenthood had passed him by.
After meeting Michelle, the couple married and welcomed their first son, Liam, when McCarthy was 53, followed by a second son, Tadhg, when he was 56. Based in Norway while Michelle completes a PhD, the couple coordinates their schedules to share childcare duties.
“Your life does become for your kid, doesn’t it?” McCarthy reflected. While acknowledging the physical demands and sleep struggles of older parenthood, he remains focused on the present. “There are times when you wish you had more patience or energy — at times you struggle with sleep. But it’s amazing.”
