Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
Winter Meeting: 2- 5pm
Introduction and Welcome: Mr Gerry Fahy, President, Irish College of Ophthalmologists
2pm: Modern Diagnostics:
Cornea: Ms Sarah Moran, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Cork University Hospital
Retinal Genetics: Mr Kirk Stephenson, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Children's Health Ireland and Mater Private Network
Glaucoma: Mr Edward Dervan, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Bon Secours Hospital, Dublin
3.30pm Refreshments
4pm: The Role of The Expert Witness in Irish Ophthalmology
Yvonne Joyce, Partner at Comyn Kelleher Tobin
A spokesperson for the Irish Hospital Consultants Association will also join the panel.
Annual Montgomery Lecture 2026
5.30pm: Drinks & Canapés Reception
6.15pm: Lecture
"Looking with New Eyes: Inherited Retinal Degenerations - Where We Were, Where We Are, Where We’re Going"
Mr. Paul Kenna, Research Foundation, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin
Mr. Paul Kenna, who trained at The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin, has devoted close to 40 years to clinical and genetic research in Inherited Retinal Degenerations (IRDs). Appointed as Senior Clinical Fellow in the laboratory of Professors Pete Humphries and G. Jane Farrar in Trinity College Dublin, and Medical Director of the Research Foundation at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, in 1988, his work in the characterisation of large Irish families with various forms of Retinitis Pigmentosa resulted in the identification of several novel disease-associated genes, including Rhodopsin, PRPH2, mitochondrial MTTS2, IMPDH1 and RPE65. Mr. Kenna set up the ISCEV- compliant Electro-diagnostic Service at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in 1990 and established the Ocular Genetics Service, currently directed by Ms. Emma Duignan. With Prof. Farrar he developed ‘Suppression and Replacement’ as a viable strategy for gene therapy of autosomal dominant forms of IRDs. In 2010, in collaboration with the Ocular Genetics group at Trinity College Dublin, he initiated genetic screening of Irish IRD patients using Next Generation Sequencing. This was subsequently expanded to include patients on the island of Ireland, in collaboration with Mr. David Keegan and Ms. Julie Silvestri – Target 5000. He was involved in the diagnosis, characterisation and ultimate treatment in 2022 of the first Irish patient with bi-allelic RPE65 Leber Congenital Amaurosis to receive Luxturna™. After 50 years in the practice of medicine, Mr. Kenna retired in July 2026.
