When my father retired officially in 1959, I had about 2,000 patients. I had the NHS practice and also the registration of Births, Deaths and Catholic Marriages for a few years. I married my wife, Winifred Lloyd from Bray in 1961 and I was able to appoint my wife as deputy to assist with registration as well as answering the phone. Also, I had the contract to look after Reed’s Factory. Gradually the surgery hours continued to expand till I was working from 8.30 am to 11.30 am in the morning and from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm but often until 7.00 pm in the evening. As more people drove cars, patients could be brought to the practice and home visits were reduced from about sixteen a day to an average of six. Donal O’Tierney left Clongowes in 1951.
