Jailbird Sean Quinn kept his head down on his return home to Cavan for Christmas – but he did get to attend his grand-daughter’s christening.

The bankrupt billionaire was granted temporary release from Dublin’s Mountjoy prison on Christmas Eve.

Currently serving a nine week sentence for contempt of court, Quinn was collected by his son Sean Jr.

The pair drove away in a top of the range Audi valued at close to $70,000 according to a report in the Irish Independent.

The paper says that Quinn Jr, who also served time for contempt, drove his father home to spend the holiday with his family in the homestead in Cavan.

The report says Quinn, once Ireland’s richest man, allowed himself the hint of a smile as he was driven away at the start of his three day temporary release.

It is understood the pair headed straight for the family home in Ballyconnell but he failed to appear at Christmas mass in the parish.

Local reports say the Quinns postponed the christening ceremony for baby Orna until Saturday to await her grandfather’s return home.

Daughter Ciara had told Mountjoy governor Ned Whelan that the birth of her daughter was ‘the only good in my life over the past 19 months.’

In a letter she said that not having her father at the christening ‘will leave a large void in the ceremony and a dark cloud over the entire day.’

Quinn was granted a temporary release after wife Patricia told authorities that she could not bear to be separated from her husband at Christmas.

Quinn will return to prison on Thursday and is due for full release in January.