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Filling the last cavity in a remarkable career
Filling the last cavity in a remarkable career
Words
and photo by Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan
After 38 years of caring for the smiles of Killarney, Dr Brendan Coffey is hanging up the drill.
There are some retirements that quietly slip by. And then there are retirements that leave an entire town smiling.
When I arrived at Killarney Dental Clinic at the Reeks Gateway to meet Dr Brendan Coffey ahead of his retirement, I had to wait a few minutes while he finished with a patient. As it happened, that patient was Johnny Healy which seemed quite fitting indeed.
While I waited, I found myself sitting by the large window overlooking the Cleeny Roundabout, arguably one of Killarney's finest people-watching spots.
Meanwhile, Brendan was finishing with the very man who helped start it all!
Back in May 1988, Brendan bought a small house on New Street from Paddy Doyle and transformed it into a dental surgery. The final coat of paint was applied on Thursday, May 12th. The following morning, Friday the 13th, unlucky for some, he opened the door and hoped for the best.
"I had no idea when my first patient would arrive," Brendan recalled. But he needn't have worried.
His neighbour, Johnny Healy from Healy's Shop on New St, walked through the door that morning and became the first patient of Killarney Dental Clinic. Almost four decades later, Johnny found himself back in the chair as one of Brendan's final patients before retirement, gifting Johnny a hamper of chocolate, which some might consider, a referral scheme for his son Jack.
Over the next 38 years, Brendan became a familiar face, a trusted voice and a calming presence for generations of families.
Children who once nervously sat in his chair returned years later with children of their own. The practice became woven into the very fabric of the community. And when speaking about his career, Brendan's gratitude shines through.
"The people of Killarney have been wonderful, loyal and friendly," he said. "It has been a privilege to treat them."
That gratitude also extends to the staff who helped create the welcoming atmosphere that became synonymous with Killarney Dental Clinic.
And no mention of the practice would be complete without acknowledging his wife Brenda, who spent many years as Practice Manager and played a pivotal role in helping make the clinic what it is today.
In 2022, the next chapter began when Brendan's son Jack, who followed his father into dentistry before specialising in Endodontics, and his wife Emma took over the running of the practice.
For Brendan, it was the best of both worlds.
He was able to continue seeing patients while stepping away from the pressures of running a business.
"It was hugely enjoyable," he said. And perhaps even more enjoyable was watching the next generation take the practice to new heights.
In 2024, Jack and Emma made the decision to relocate to the Reeks Gateway and create a state-of-the-art facility equipped with the latest technology and an exceptional team.
The move also brought something you don't often associate with a dental clinic. A full-sized Pac-Man arcade machine.
Proudly positioned in the waiting area, it has become a firm favourite among younger visitors and may well be the ultimate expression of fun before a dental appointment.
When I asked Anna Toomey, who has worked with the practice for over three years, what it has been like working alongside Dr Coffey, her answer summed up the atmosphere perfectly.
"Only last week, an adult patient came in and said she couldn't tell her children she was coming to the dentist because they'd be upset they couldn't come too."
Now that's not something you hear every day.
Most children dread a visit to the dentist.
The move to the Reeks wasn't without its moments of comedy.
Brendan admits he approached all the shiny new technology with a degree of caution.
"I was thinking I'd be in big trouble if I broke any of that fabulous new equipment," he laughed.
Old habits also die hard.
During the first week after the move, he accidentally arrived at the old surgery on New Street before realising everyone else had moved.
Meanwhile, the staff at the Reeks were wondering where he was.
Like all changes, it took a little getting used to.
But today, Brendan walks through the doors of the clinic with a huge sense of pride.
As we spoke, it was clear there were mixed emotions surrounding retirement.
There was sadness at leaving behind the people he has met every week for almost four decades.
But there was also deep satisfaction.
The satisfaction of knowing patients will continue to receive excellent care.
The satisfaction of seeing the practice thrive.
And the satisfaction of knowing that what started in a small house on New Street has grown into something truly special.
As our conversation drew to a close, Brendan paused for a moment and looked around the clinic.
There was pride in his eyes.
There was gratitude too.
Then he smiled.
"I think it's time."
Simple words.
Yet behind them lies 38 years of dedication, commitment, compassion and care.
Thousands of patients.
Countless friendships.
And a lifetime spent giving people reasons to smile.
So from everyone whose fears he eased, whose toothache he cured and whose life he touched along the way, thank you, Dr Brendan Coffey.
You have certainly left your mark on Killarney.
And before he goes, he leaves us with three final pieces of wisdom:
“Easy on the sweets.
Give up the fags.
And don't eat for two hours
Felicity’s Summer in Killarney — Week One
A new weekly series from Killarney Advertiser’s Jess Jukes
Jess Jukes, a member of the advertising department at the Killarney Advertiser, is also a budding writer. Each week, we will bring you her serialised novella following the adventures of Felicity’s summer in Killarney.
Felicity’s Summer in Killarney — Week One
This was it. The county border. The edge of her world for the next few months. The 40 Expressway paid no mind to her inner turmoil as it trundled down the road.
Felicity slouched in the uncomfortable seat and watched the Kerry countryside pass her by, trees on both sides of the road before they opened out to the rolling hills and fields beyond. An older lady was humming a lilting traditional tune behind her, tapping her foot to the melody she made as the bus carried them both closer to Killarney.
Killarney. It was her mother’s hometown, where she had left at twenty and hadn’t gone back. And now when Felicity’s parents wanted to go abroad for the summer of their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary they were shipping her off there. She was to stay with her Auntie Sheila who used to be a detective in Dublin. She had taken early retirement back to Killarney a few years ago, “returning to her roots” as she had put it.
This was the first time that Felicity’s parents had shipped her down to Killarney, but she would bet that it wouldn’t be the last. She was going to miss her friends, her room, her life back home. Felicity had fought tooth and nail to stay in Dublin but none of her friends would be able to take her for the whole summer. She couldn’t stay in her own house because her parents were partaking in a house swap “to get the authentic experience” her mother had said. Even though Felicity had known it was coming for months, and she had spent the past few hours travelling, arriving in Kerry still felt surreal.
Pondering how her summer was going to unfold, it wasn’t long before she turned up her music and closed her eyes, letting the dull drone of the bus engine lull her to sleep.
Felicity opened her eyes with a jolt. The bus pulled into its berth. Felicity disembarked, hardly noticing the loud ding of an advertisement for the Bus Station Café over the intercom. She waited along with everyone else for the bus’s undercarriage to open, and pulled her bags out from the hold.
Her whole life for the summer, packed into two small suitcases and a backpack. Her parents had assured her that anything else she needed she could buy in Killarney. Felicity somehow doubted it.
She turned around, searching for her aunt. They had agreed to meet just next to the Outlet Centre doors. She easily found the woman’s head of crazy blond hair. Sheila’s outward appearance was an outward representation of her enthusiastic view of life. Her aunt saw her and approached, holding her arms out for a hug. “Felicity! Come here to me, you’ve arrived just in time. We have a festival on this weekend. You won’t have a dull moment to miss home.”
Felicity shook her head fondly as her aunt jabbered on. She had missed her aunt since she had moved back to Killarney. No matter what the summer brought, it would certainly be interesting.
Felicity was scrolling in her bedroom when Aunt Sheila came bustling in. Sheila was like a hurricane, sunny smile, curly hair, glasses perched atop her head at a slant. It was a wonder she had made it as far as she had as a detective.
“Felicity,” the way her aunt drew out her name sounded like a song. “I’m going to take you around town this afternoon.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “It’s just a town. I’m eighteen, surely I can make my own way around without an escort.”
Sheila tutted. “I want to spend time with you out and about while the weather is good. You know, this is the warmest day we’ve had all year? The post man told me it’s only meant to get hotter before the bank holiday.”
Felicity almost shuddered. It was already reaching 25 degrees. She wasn’t made for this weather, but she accompanied her aunt into town nonetheless.
Auntie Sheila was on a mission to cram everything Killarney had to offer into one day. They hopped between retailers on Main Street and New Street before heading out to Muckross Garden for lunch and a stroll.
The park was an experience like no other for Felicity. The serene beauty that Muckross held was like nothing she had ever seen. Everything was so lush; there was nothing like the rugged beauty of Kerry compared to Dublin.
They spent three hours meandering along the paths. Felicity wondered at Torc Waterfall and Muckross Abbey, enthralled by the fact that she could venture inside. Auntie Sheila indulged her with stories about the old friary, transporting Felicity to a different world.
For dinner they went to the International Hotel, a treat to celebrate her arrival. Afterwards, they drove back to Auntie Sheila’s house on Hedgerow Place. Felicity watched an ice cream truck trundling down the road, trumpeting its sweet ditty. She thought she could come to enjoy the summer after all.
As they pulled into the drive, they heard a loud crash. Felicity turned just in time to see the ice cream truck’s door swing wide open. A figure was pulled out and thrown to the floor as the attacker hopped in. She clambered out of the car, Auntie Sheila not two steps behind her, and started running toward the vendor on the ground as the truck’s tune cut out and it sped away.
Tune in next week…
Felicity’s Summer in Killarney — Week One
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