A new dawn for Irish optometry

Eye care has had a long history in Ireland with the Mason family of Aran Quay in Dublin being referred to in the 1767 Dublin Chronicles as an ‘occulist’. In 1905 the Irish Optical Association was formed, which became the Association of Opticians of Ireland in 1945, and finally the Association of Optometrists Ireland in 1986. However, it was not until the 1956 Opticians Act was enacted that the profession became formally recognised as a registered profession. In 1959, the first full-time optometry course opened its doors in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Kevin Street.

While the formal recognition of the profession, by means of the 1956 Opticians Act was an important milestone for the profession; it was a piece of legislation of its time and not without significant flaws.