One of Donegal best-known doctors has retired after more than 50 years of service.
Dr James McDaid finished his last shift at Scally Medical Practice in Letterkenny yesterday.
A well-known face in the world of politics and sport, Dr McDaid will ultimately be remembered by many families as an outstanding GP.
Always a man to cut straight to the chase, Dr McDaid’s no-nonsense approach aided and saved countless lives down through the decades.
Born in Termon, he was educated at St Eunan’s College between 1962 and 1967 before attending University College Galway (UCG), and was conferred with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1974.
Between 1974 and 1979 he worked at Letterkenny General Hospital before going into partnership as a GP in 1979.
A keen sportsman he was also the Donegal GAA senior team’s medical officer.
Tributes have flowed in for Dr McDaid from patients, colleagues and friends.
Among those to pay tribute was his friend and local county councillor, Ciaran Brogan.
Councillor Brogan wished Dr McDaid good health and happiness in his years of retirement.
He said “It will be with a difficult day for James as he finishes up doing what he enjoyed best looking after his patients in the surgery, doing house calls and on the many football pitches always finding solutions and administering pain relief along the way.
“A lot has changed in the modern era in everything over the years including medicine but Dr James was always willing to embrace the challenge and the change providing it was beneficial for his patients, so hopefully now gets a chance to have some good quality time for himself and his family.
“It certainly is “the end of an era “for many families in the Letterkenny area as Dr James Mc Daid retires because on many occasions whatever the situation some very difficult ones, someone said ‘Ring the Doc’.
“So today our prescription to you is enjoy your well earned retirement because you certainly deserve every moment of it.”
