Where it all began…
Vincent Nolan concentrating on a surgical procedure in 1996
Cottage Veterinary Clinic began in 1963 in Kilcullen when Vincent Nolan set up practice in his home town.
It was a one man practice at that time, so Vincent was on call day and night, seven days a week while his wife Ann manned the phones and acted as nurse when required, through the night if needed.
In the early sixties veterinary practice was focused on farm animals and horses with relatively little training and few facilities for the care of dogs and cats.
Despite this, Vincent was determined to provide the highest standard of care for his small patients as well and he subsequently built one of the first purpose built small animal clinics outside of Dublin.
There was a waiting room, consulting room, small hospital ward, and what was very rare for the time, a separate operating theatre and an X-ray machine. Noirin Ni Shimidh joined Vincent in 1998 when she moved home to Newbridge after 10 years in practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
To where we are now….
The practice had to move in 2002 and failing to find a suitable site in Kilcullen, we moved into a temporary building on the present site between Kilcullen and Newbridge.
After years of hard work and investment, the practice is now housed in a modern, warm and bright hospital building which has all the equipment and facilities needed to care for our patients. We now have three consulting rooms, separate hospital wards for our dogs and cats and for isolation, piped oxygen, X ray machines for both standard and dental work with digital processing, ultrasound, ECG, a diagnostic laboratory and more – have a look at our facilities page!
Our team has also expanded to include a second veterinary surgeon Karen who joined us in 2014, as well as qualified veterinary nurses and dedicated reception staff who play a vital role in providing both our patients and clients with the care and support they need.
Check out our team page to meet everyone!
Since 1963 huge advances have been made in veterinary medicine especially in the care of our smaller patients. As a team we are all committed to continuously learning and improving so we can continue to provide the highest standard of medicine possible.
We can now take advantage of the internet to view lectures outlining the latest advances in understanding and treatments, to consult colleagues on the other side of the world when we encounter rarer conditions, to send X-rays, videos or photos for second opinions when needed.
It’s a different world but we still believe that nursing care, warmth, comfort, pain management and reducing stress or fear is as important as the new medical knowledge and procedures.
And in the future…
Looking forward, we will continue to invest in continuing education, staff and our facilities so that we can continue to provide the best care for our patients.
Practice Opening Hours:
Consultations are by appointment Emergency Service Available 24/7 Call (045) 434848
8.30 – 7.00pm Monday – Friday
8.30 – 1pm Saturday
Sunday CLOSED
Consultations are by appointment only
