This article is from page 4 of the 2006-06-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
FOR 180 years, the McNamaras have been looking after the health of the people of Corofin.
This weekend marked the end of an era, with the retirement of the fourth generation of the family of GPs.
Dr Maccon MacNamara celebrated his retirement with his wife Finola, family, many friends and patients after dedicating 40 years of his life to the welfare of the North Clare village.
The towering, softly spoken doctor took over the Corofin practice from his father Donough, who was preceded by his father George.
The dynasty of doctors in Corofin began with Dr Maccon’s great grandfather Michael in 1826, with every generation there after providing a GP.
Dr Maccon joined the practice in 1966, having graduated from the University College in Galway in 1960. The popular GP had previously attended Corofin National School and later Castleknock College in Dublin, before studying medicine.
“I never considered anything else,” he said.
From a family of four, Maccon’s late eldest brother also chose a career in the medical field.
Maccon’s own six children have decided to carve out careers in other professions, but this is a fact the retiring GP is content about.
For 37 of his 40 years in the Corofin practice, Dr MacNamara ran the practice single-handedly.
“On the upside, patients had 24 hour access to you, 365 days a year,” he told The Clare People .
However, the GP admitted that the long and unpredictable hours meant family and social life could be quite restricted.
When Dr Maccon began practicing in the 1960s, the two surgeries in his dispensary area were primitive. Telecommunications and transport were not as advanced.
“The postman would come and tell you someone was out of medicine, or needed to see you,” explained Dr Maccon.
With the introduction of the public health nurse, a lot of pressure was taken off the local GP.
Three years ago, Dr Maccon purchased the medical centre in Corofin, and has since been joined by a new team of medical experts he describes as “a first division team”.
The doctor is full of praise for his practice nurse, Mary O’Brien, fellow GP Dr Fergus Glynn and secretary Geraldine Cahill.
The retiring GP will stay on in the practice in an advisory capacity.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the patients,” he said.
He is also proud of the camaraderie between the GPs in the county.