Since setting up her optometrist practice at the crossroads in Kilcullen more than a dozen years ago, Nichola Kennedy has developed it to incorporate a highly professional team of colleagues. Nichola is local to Kilcullen, from Mullacash, and always wanted to come back to the town to set up her own business. Which she did in 2006 following periods working in Carlow and the UK after qualifying. She is passionate about all aspects of eye care, especially for children and seniors, and a firm believer in making as much time for patients as is necessary to properly assess their needs. It is an ethos that extends right through the practice.
Maura Deay handles administration and reception, and loves the style aspect of frames selection. She particularly enjoys the variety of the work and being the first point of contact with people that is part and parcel of a business in a small place like Kilcullen. "I also love being part of a close-knit team, which is what we have here, and there's a great satisfaction when all of our efforts come up with a perfect pair of spectacles for a client."
Dispensing optician Karen Donnelly is a specialist in providing the lenses and the frames to suit the prescription and the lifestyle of the client. Apart from guiding clients through the shapes and styles of spectacle frames, Karen's work also has to take into account age and other things. "It can present different challenges every day, so the work is always interesting."
Optician Pamela Loughman spent decades working in large practices in Dublin. She's enjoying the different pace of Kilcullen, a 'vibrant and personal' town, and the fact that she has the opportunity to do everything involved in eye health — from testing through to choosing glasses. "And I can spend more time with people, so I get to know them," she says.
While the practice can and does deal with the eye health needs of patients of every age, the team is particularly interested in all aspects of children's and young people's optometry, from paediatric through to teens and third level. "We also specialise in helping patients with special needs," Nichola adds. "Ultimately, when all the ‘work’ in the eye exam is done, we love styling people and we work in collaboration with our clients to find the correct shape, size and colour to complement not only their face but also their personality and lifestyle."