In 1974 Dr. Declan Murphy returned from seven years abroad to take up a general practitioner (GP) training programme having worked in the UK and Germany. His appointment by the former South Eastern Health Board to a former rural “Dispensary” practice also allowed him to open a practice in Kilkenny City. He commenced by renting rooms in Garrison House, Johns Green, and in 1976 he was joined in partnership by Dr. Joseph Sweeney who had returned from hospital practice in the USA. Dr. Murphy bought 53 John Street and the terraced house became John Street Medical Centre. In 1981 Dr. Frank Bradbury joined them in partnership at a new branch surgery based in Loughboy Shopping Centre; followed by a move to 11 Archer’s Court. In 1990 they bought a former Kilkenny County Council bungalow-style office (known locally as the Motor Tax Office) on Wolfe Tone Street, and the John Street Medical Centre practice moved into it to create the newly named Johns Green Medical Centre. In 1999 Dr. Eluned Lawlor joined the partnership and later practiced full time in Loughboy Medical Centre. The practice remained as a united partnership with the two separate practice premises. However the long term ambition was always to attempt to merge the two. The challenge was to find somewhere that best met the needs of both Johns Green and Loughboy Medical Centres and their patients. In 2000 we became one of the first practices in Ireland to be fully computerised and paperless. Three former trainees and graduates of the South East GP Training Programme joined the practice; Dr. Carmel Flynn in 2002, Dr. Ciaran Aylmer in 2006, and Dr. Richard Carroll in 2008. We have had the support of hard working and committed locums, nurses and administrative personnel over the years for which we are extremely grateful. In 2007 Dr. Bradbury retired; followed by Dr. Murphy in 2010 and Dr. Sweeney in 2016. We were fortunate to be joined by another GP Dr. Justin Kwong in 2017. In 2021 Johns Green and Loughboy Medical Centres merged to become Lakeside Family Practice in their new modern premises as part of the Newpark Primary Care Centre. In 2022 we were joined by Dr Robert Yeo and in 2023 Dr Eleanor O’Neill following the retirement of Dr Eluned Lawlor. Dr Alan Tyrrell joined us in 2024 and we were also grateful to have Drs Mairéad Phelan and Chlöe Hitchcock join us in 2025 prior to Dr Carmel Flynn’s retirement at the end of that year. Both Drs Lawlor and Flynn were instrumental in making the practice what it is today and they were very involved in bringing Lakeside Family Practice into being. From 2026 we are also happy to announce that Dr Justin Kwong is an ICGP trainer and we look forward to having many GP Registrars over the coming years.