This article is from page 12 of the 2008-07-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
PASCHAL Carmody was born in Tarbert, north Kerry, 60 years ago. From a family of 13 — nine brothers and three sisters – he attended the local primary school, before board- ing at Rockwell College in Cashel, SoA Ae Bye lae
While in his Leaving Cert year, he had a strong interest in biology and
science and decided to go into medi- cine.
In 1966, he went to university in Galway, where he studied for six years. He passed all but one exam during his years at university. After graduating, he served as an intern at the University College Hospital Gal- way.
During his year-long internship, he served under Dr Murphy for six
months and six months under Dr Bartholomew Driscoll, who special- ised in respiratory, dermatology and AMO Coges (ose
It was while working with Dr Dr- iscoll that he had his first experience with photodynamic therapy.
As the only dermatologist in the west of Ireland, Dr. Driscoll treated dermatology lesions with laser.
Dr Carmody then went to the Jervis
Street Hospital in Dublin where he worked for six months in accident and emergency, six months in the medi- cal wards and a further six moths as a Senior House Officer (SHO).
When he finished in Dublin he worked in Limerick for 18 months. He also worked as an SHO, then spe- cialised in obstetrics and gynaecol- ogy, and later paediatrics.
At the age of 29, he decided to spe-
cialise in obstetrics and gynaecology, but later changed his mind and went into general practice.
In 1976, just as he prepared to emi- grate to take up a position in Mon- tana, the Mid Western Heath Board asked him if he had an interest in taking a position as a GP in Killaloe, or Castleconnell, Co Limerick. He began working as a GP in Killaloe on October 1, 1976.