After 28 great years in the Bon Secours in Tralee, John Buckley, a Consultant Urologist in the hospital, has decided that now is finally time to hang up his white coat and head off onto the next great adventure in his life - retirement!
It’s been a long and varied career for John who first got a degree in Physiology from UCC before going on to earn a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, completed his MCh thesis in Cork, achieved a FRCS (Urology) in London, and gained European Board Fellowship in Urology, along with higher surgical training accreditation.
His introduction to urology began in Boston at the University Medical Centre, where he trained within Dr. R. Krane’s unit. Those formative years included exposure to complex surgical practice and assisting with vascular access procedures and renal transplantation.
After this came a move to London where he worked in Guys and St Thomas hospital, another move to Glasgow before finally settling down in Kerry almost 30 years ago, in 1998, when he began his role as a Urology consultant in the Bon Secours in Tralee.
At his recent retirement party in Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa, his now former colleagues - including Cara Buckey who worked alongside John for 10 years - paid tribute to someone that they described as “one-of-a-kind”.
He had a reputation, they said, for outstanding care, dedication, and knowledgethat consistently surpassed any of the patient’s expectations.
Whether it was 8am or 11pm at night when he would visit his patients, the patients would jump up, sit high up in the bed, ready to shake his hand in gratitude for taking such good care them. The patients often referred to him as ‘”a saint” and “a lifesaver”.
“Beyond his clinical excellence, he has been a teacher, a mentor, and a leader. Many colleagues and trainees will recall his guidance, his standards, and his willingness to share knowledge. Patients will remember his professionalism, his clarity, and the reassurance he brought during difficult times,” said Cara in her speech at John’s retirement party.
“I was incredibly privileged to have maintained a fantastic relationship with Mr. Buckley, so much so that many people often wondered if I was his daughter, or any relation at all! Not only because we share the same surname and discipline, but because of the kind, respectful, and loyal bond that people witnessed,” she continued.
“We will miss you walking onto the wards in your brown leather coat, your amusement and involvement in the nurses’ gossip, and your quiet presence that somehow always filled a room. To me, you will always be known as the gentle genius.
On behalf of everyone gathered at the retirement party, Cara said that everyone extended their sincere gratitude for his dedication, skill, and contribution to the field of urology and to medicine as a whole.
She finished by wishing him a very happy retirement filled with good health, well-earned rest, and many enjoyable miles ahead.