Beginner's pluck: Long-tern volunteer and GP John Travers

Irish Examiner

03-05-2025

A Dubliner, John spent his childhood summers on West Cork's Bere Island.
A sporty child, good at science and maths, he spent much of his spare time volunteering.
Completing a degree in engineering, a profession he entered to help shape the world around him, he joined Shell in the Netherlands.
'I was there for five years,' he says. 'I led a team to commercialise technology.'
After taking an MBA in the States, he returned to Dublin and worked for McKinsey Management Consulting for almost four years.
'Then, wanting my own business, I set up three clean energy companies in quick succession.'
They went well, but after five years of commuting to Dublin each week and spending time in the USA, my life came to a junction.
All that time John continued his volunteering work, both in Ireland and abroad. There were trips to Kolkata, Tanzania, and Ghana.
'It was like a parallel life — and I realised I was getting more satisfaction from my volunteering life than my corporate work.'
That's when he decided to become a doctor.
'I met my wife during the initial four-year training. Then I trained for a further five years to become a GP.'
He now works as a GP, but also researches, writes, and works with the elderly and homeless, helping to reverse frailty and build resilience.
Who is John Travers?
Place of birth: Dublin.
Education: Belvedere College; University College Dublin, Engineering; Harvard, MBA in Business Administration; UCD, Graduate entry medicine.
Home: Rathmines, Dublin.
Family: Wife Lisa, daughters Jennifer, 8, and Julia, 7.
The day job: GP in Sandymount.
In another life: 'I'd love to be a soul musician. That world is really alluring.'
Favourite writers: James Plunkett; John Steinbeck; Sebastian Barry; Alain de Botton; Julia Donaldson; Claire Keegan.
Second book: 'There will be one. Maybe, more of the same.'
Top tip: 'Don't think too hard. Just start writing and let it flow.'
Website: www.sandymountgreenmedical.ie
Instagram: @johnjtravers
The debut
A Shot of Hope:Stories of Quiet Resilience
Orpen Press, €17.99
These beautifully written narratives of John's training, volunteering, and practice focus on stories of remarkable people — the vulnerable, the brave, and the disadvantaged. They show hope in the worst of situations.
The verdict: Heart-lifting. Brings a tear to the eye.
Read More
One in seven people do regular voluntary work