Spec-tacular! Specsavers Letterkenny celebrates 20 years in business

SPECSAVERS Letterkenny is celebrating a special anniversary this month marking 20 years in business.

The store, located on the Port Road first opened its doors in 2001 and since then has proudly served the people of Letterkenny for all their eye care and hearing needs.

In 2008, the store expanded its services to introduce a dedicated audiology room and in-store lab, with the store now operating four optician rooms compared to just one when they first opened. 

Now an integral part of the local business community, Specsavers Letterkenny has been successfully led by founding store partners Paul O’Donoghue and Martina McMahon along with Audiology Director, Martina McNulty. Together with their team of 40 local staff, including six optometrists, and two audiologists, they strive to provide the best level of service and expertise in audiology and optical care.

Speaking of the store’s success over the years and throughout the pandemic, Paul O’Donoghue, says: ‘We’re delighted to be celebrating our store’s success over the last 20 years and would like to thank the local community for all of their support along the way, especially over the last two years. We’d also like to thank our team who have all helped our business to succeed and who have worked incredibly hard over the past two years which have been challenging in light of COVID-19. We look forward to celebrating our 20-year anniversary with our colleagues and customers when the time is right.’

Experts in eye care, the Letterkenny store has four dedicated optical testing rooms, overseen by a team of eye care experts. Included in the team are Lab Manager Martin Crossan and Optical Assistant Nuala Quinn, both of which have been a part of the team since the Letterkenny store opened.

From routine eye examinations to complex contact lens fittings, Specsavers Letterkenny can provide all aspects of professional eye care. With a commitment to providing customers with the latest optical technology, Specsavers has invested in hospital-grade technology offering Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a cutting-edge piece of testing equipment that allows opticians to view the eye in more detail than ever before. 

In addition to offering OCT, during routine eye tests, all adults have a picture taken of the back of their eye, using a piece of technology called the retinal fundus camera. These pictures can detect signs of abnormalities and referrals can be made to see an ophthalmologist if necessary. 

As well as its state-of-the-art testing equipment, the store also offers styling services to help customers pick the perfect pair of frames, as well as a vast collection of fashionable frames, with remote aftercare offered to all customers.  

Specsavers Letterkenny also specialises in audiology services with an on-site hearing centre that is overseen by a team of hearing experts. Here they offer a three-minute hearing check as a quick and simple way to find out if a full hearing test is required. Additional audiology services include hearing tests, video otoscopy and micro-suction services for wax removal. All hearing tests are carried out in a sound-proofed room to ensure accurate and reliable results. Specsavers Letterkenny offer a wide range of affordable hearing aids for their customers, with the latest technology. 

Thanks to PRSI benefits, eligible customers can see and hear for free at Specsavers Letterkenny. Customers can get one free pair of glasses from the €69 range and following changes to the benefits scheme earlier this year, customers can now also avail of a free pair of hearing aids up to the value of €1,000, or they have the choice of using the value towards our higher technology ranges. Specsavers Letterkenny are encouraging people to ask about PRSI benefits when making their appointments. 

Committed to providing the best level of service for all, Specsavers Letterkenny is proud to be one of the first stores to achieve Age Friendly status in Ireland, creating a safe and enjoyable experience for older customers. 

Paul O’Donoghue, who is an Age Friendly Ambassador, continues, ‘Our customers are at the heart of our store. A pillar of the community, we strive to ensure we provide the best level of service in an environment that feels safe and comfortable.’

Additionally, all staff at Specsavers Letterkenny have completed Dementia Friends training, an initiative run by the Alzheimer Society. The comprehensive training covers all aspects of dementia and discusses how it affects people in different ways. With relevance to Specsavers, it also describes how senses can be affected, including sight and hearing. Further to this, all staff members have completed training to accommodate customers with autism to ensure they have a comfortable and pleasant experience in store. 

Reassuring customers of their health and safety measures, Paul, says: ‘Taking a proactive approach to your eye and hearing health is so important and it should be considered as part of people’s overall annual health check. While we appreciate appointments may have been missed or postponed over the last two years due to the pandemic, we want to remind customers, both new and existing, that our store is fully open and reassure you that we have a high level of health and safety measures in place, so our customers can feel safe and confident coming into us for their next appointment.’

Specsavers Letterkenny is a local community optician and hearing centre, where supporting local clubs and charities is a key part of the store’s culture. They have supported a variety of fundraising initiatives since opening including Donegal Hospice, the Letterkenny Neonatal ward, the Hope Foundation, Simon Community, Laura Lynn, Beaumont Hospital cochlear implant department and most recently the Ballyliffin Coastal Run for those who live locally that have been affected by the ongoing MICA crisis.

Visit Specsavers Letterkenny at 64 Port Road, Gortlee, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, or call (074) 916 7040. See www.specsavers.ie/letterkenny  for more details.

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