Hidden Hearing has 1000's of customers. Although they come from all walks of life and different ages, they all have one thing in common; a positive attitude and a desire to get the most out of life through improved hearing.

Leading figures from the world of business (Aviation businessman Ulick McEvaddy), entertainment (Daniel O’ Donnell’s mother, Julia) and politics (well-known Westmeath Cllr Dan McCarthy) choose Hidden Hearing as their hearing healthcare provider.

Business

Ulick McEvaddy, Omega Air:
“The Hidden Hearing service levels have really impressed me. Each staff member I’ve dealt with has been very highly-trained, the response times have been consistently fast and the overall experience has been very professional. When it comes to your hearing you want to ensure that you’re benefiting from the most advanced technology and equipment and having experienced various products over the years, I find that Hidden Hearing provides the best hearing aids available for my hearing deficiency.”

Entertainment

Daniel O’Donnell, Entertainer:
“We are delighted that our mother, Julia, has had her hearing restored, thanks to Hidden Hearing. She suffered from quite a severe hearing impairment, so conversation became increasingly difficult for her. It also put quite a strain on the rest of the family. We are so thankful that we have found a solution for mammy. She’s a new woman, thanks to her new hearing aids.”

Dickie Rock, Entertainer:
“I’ve been blessed with a really enjoyable music career but I suppose it was no surprise that it would eventually impact on my hearing. I didn’t really notice when my hearing started to deteriorate a few years ago, but my wife and children started to notice that I would have the television turned up too loud. I can’t say enough about the guys in Hidden Hearing, who provided a first class service from day one and they continue to provide an excellent aftercare service.”

Politics

Cllr Dan McCarthy, Westmeath County Council:
“I am a customer of Hidden Hearing in Coole, Co Westmeath. I cannot find words to describe the professionalism of the staff in Coole. I find it hard to quantify the difference the service has made to my day to day life attending many meetings where everybody tends to speak at the same time; this has completely changed my quality of life.”

I’ve been blessed with a really enjoyable music career but I suppose it was no surprise that it would eventually impact on my hearing. I didn’t really notice when my hearing started to deteriorate a few years ago, but my wife and children started to notice that I would have the television turned up too loud.
I don’t believe in ignoring health issues so I got my hearing tested and we found that I needed hearing aids. Since I started using the hearing aid I haven’t looked back and I now enjoy all the benefits of full hearing again. The hearing aid is small, unobtrusive and people don’t even notice that I have one, whereas they would have noticed my hearing loss a few years ago!
I can’t say enough about the guys in Hidden Hearing, who provided a first class service from day one and they continue to provide an excellent aftercare service.
My main advice to others is that hearing loss is nothing to be embarrassed about - I’ve never been embarrassed to talk about my hearing loss and nobody else should either. My other advice is not to put off addressing your hearing loss. There’s no reason in the world for people to miss out on music, family events or other social activities because of hearing loss.
- DICKIE ROCK

I first noticed signs of hearing loss about two years ago when I was having difficulty hearing the priest at mass and would have to turn up the volume on the TV so loud that my brother and sister would leave the room. I also had to constantly ask people to repeat themselves and could not hear people properly on the phone. My hearing loss was noise induced having spent x years on a noisy farm exposed to loud machinery and not wearing mufflers.
On the advice of my brother and sister, I arranged a test at my local Hidden Hearing clinic and found them brilliant. The test took a short amount of time and I had not realised just how bad my hearing was until I sat down with my audiologist and we analysed the results.
I was really impressed with the level of care and service provided at Hidden Hearing and with my audiologist’s depth of knowledge on hearing loss and hearing aids. He explained all the options available to me and guided me through the process of finding the right hearing aid.
I’ve been wearing a hearing aid in each ear for 18 months now and they’ve made a big difference to my life. I can now sit around a table with friends and hear exactly what they are saying and have no problems hearing the priest at mass. I love going to football matches in Croke Park and watching GAA on TV and with my hearing aids it is a far more enjoyable experience as I can hear the commentary and the referee blow his whistle.
I would highly recommend Hidden Hearing to anyone experiencing problems with their hearing and advise them to seek help as soon as they notice the signs of hearing loss. My life has improved dramatically since I was fitted with hearing aids and it makes the world of difference to be able to hear again.
- Seán Burke (74, Wicklow)

I have been wearing hearing aids for the past 16 years. Now I have digital hearing aids supplied by Hidden Hearing three months ago - what a transformation to my life! I had lost interest in television because even with the volume at its highest I still could not hear correctly. Now I can hear the birds singing in my garden and best of all, I can enjoy conversations more with my family & friends.
I had resigned myself to my deafness and only now realise what I was missing and of course, it is a comfort to those with whom I communicate. One person remarked, "You are a different person to talk to since you got your new hearing aids", and I feel like a different person. I will never regret my decision to get my new digital hearing aids.
- Pat Sheppard, Carnew

Yesterday I had my free Hidden Hearing check and calibration, one of the many I've had since you supplied me with my two aids. I am an 86 year old Franciscan nun. Having spent forty years working in hospital in Africa, my hearing was affected by over use of Quinine in the very early days of 1951, but Hidden Hearing came to my rescue several years ago.
I would like to add my thanks to Mr. Martyn Mulvey in your Dundalk Branch. He is so very kind, thorough and understanding. I am renewed each time he checks my hearing aids, and they too are renewed for work. God bless all engaged in this work.
- Sr. Hyacintha Hudson, Dundalk

I first noticed that I had a problem with my hearing in the early 1990s, when I was in my mid twenties. I ignored it for a good few years because of my age, and also because I didn’t want the stigma of wearing a hearing aid so young, I felt it went against the cosmetic look for a young man. I waited seven years before seeking treatment for my hearing loss. When I went for a hearing test through the NHS in the UK, I was told that I had significant hearing loss in both ears. I began to wear a hearing aid in my left ear, I refused to wear two as I felt embarrassed, despite the fact that I badly needed a hearing aid in both ears. Back then, the only option available was the old analogue hearing aids, which were bulky and not always effective. The hearing aid helped a lot but I still found certain things difficult. I work in sales so I spend a huge amount of time on the phone, my hearing loss was making my job increasingly difficult.
In the late 90s I crossed over to an in-ear hearing aid, which was a lot more discreet. I still found certain aspects of my job difficult – such as meetings, but I was stubborn, and wouldn’t wear a second hearing aid. Three years ago I met Phil Cornwell, audiologist with Hidden Hearing in Cork. Phil said that he felt he could help improve my quality of life further. I was really impressed by Phil’s depth of knowledge on hearing loss and hearing aids. Phil guided me through the process of finding the right hearing aid which could adapt to both my work and home life. I was fitted with two new state-of-the-art digital hearing aids.
The difference has been incredible. I no longer struggle in work, I can hear every word spoken in meetings. My new hearing aids also connect to my phone via Bluetooth technology which is first class, so calls with clients have become much easier. Hearing aids have advanced so much since I first sought treatment 15 years ago. To those who may be putting off seeking treatment, my advice is to address the issue and see the range of options available. With today’s technology, most people will never even know you wear a hearing aid. Of course, if it were possible, I would swap my hearing aids for a pair of glasses in the morning, if they made my hearing better … but my point is that if you address hearing loss, your life will improve 100%. I am living proof of that.
I play golf twice a week and now have no trouble hearing other players shouting ‘fore!’. I can even hear balls hitting trees and birds singing along the golf course. This has to be for me the greatest improvement since the new digital aids were fitted. I can also control volumes so that when I go into a loud bar with music or a busy train station, I can turn the volume down from a wireless streamer which I carry in my pocket. Put simply, LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN!
- Mark Booker

I was in denial about my hearing loss for nearly a decade. I used to work as a waitress in busy pubs and clubs, so for years I was around loud music day in day out. This had a huge affect on my hearing. When I needed to speak to someone, I had to shout over background noise. I used to have to take a food order three or four times before I got it right. I’d make a joke of myself so people didn’t think I was stupid. If people turned their backs on me I wasn’t able to understand what they were saying, so I knew something was wrong. But I never wanted to believe I was going deaf.
Losing my hearing was a gradual thing, I didn’t wake up one day and say: “oh God, my hearing is gone”. I went from being a happy, bubbly young woman to being someone I barely recognised. I isolated myself from people. It was easier that way because I wasn’t able to hold a conversation.
I was in the doctor’s surgery one day and by chance came across an advert for Hidden Hearing. I went for a test and I was told that my hearing loss was moderate to severe. They were so helpful and went through everything with me. I was soon fitted with a hearing aid.
Since getting my hearing aid, my life has changed completely. My confidence has been transformed. It also helped me to realise that my son had a speech impediment. Previously I was aware that he had difficulty pronouncing some words, but when I got my hearing aids, I soon realised there was a problem. He is now attending a speech therapist and he couldn’t be happier. My advice to anyone who thinks they are even ever so slightly hard of hearing is to just go and get it checked out. Don’t ignore the problem like I did – you’ll be missing out on so much if you do.
- Yvonne Kinsella

A few years ago I started to notice my hearing getting worse. If I was in the back of a car, I couldn’t hear what people in the front seats were saying. It got worse and worse. If I was speaking to friends or family in an area with any background noise, it was hopeless. It got so bad that I couldn’t hear the phone at all, I had to rely on my husband Tom hearing it. I made an appointment for myself and my husband with Hidden Hearing’s Athlone branch. When the audiologist fitted the hearing aids, I couldn’t believe the difference. I could hear the traffic out on the street, I could hear the clock ticking. We were both delighted with the level of care and service we received at Hidden Hearing. My hearing aid has made a huge difference to my life, I feel more confident going to meet friends and can watch TV and radio again in comfort.
- Maureen Griffin, Roscommon

I was born almost deaf in my left ear. Recently I began to notice I was finding it more difficult to hear with my right ear. I go to a lot of sports matches and I began to find the stands really noisy and couldn’t hear what my friends beside me were saying. My wife Maureen (testimonial above) suggested going to Hidden Hearing, and I am delighted that we did. My hearing is as good now as it ever was and I have no trouble chatting with friends on the sidelines as I support my favourite teams.
- Tom Griffin, Roscommon

I am writing to thank your company for sending Greg Ward to take care of my "hard of hearing" needs. From the hearing test on he explained what was happening and why, with patience, sensitivity and a touch of humour. A true gentleman. I now feel confident and comfortable using my new hearing aids and am glad to know I can call for help if I do encounter problems.
- Norah S - Dublin 14

Living in a world where you are straining to hear. Letterkenny man Joe Patterson suffered hearing loss as a teenager and tolerated years of bad hearing without seeking medical attention. Joe is urging young people not to make the same mistake he did. He finally sought help while attending a FAS course so that he could understand everything that was going on. Hidden Hearing in Letterkenny fitted a discreet digital aid that makes him wonder why he left it so long. “Looking back on it now it just seems really stupid, letting it go for eight years”! Coming to terms with the extent of his hearing problem was terrible, Joe admits, but having come o terms with it and now equipped with hearing aids he is comfortable with, he would encourage anyone with a hearing problem to seek help. “It is just as bad to live in a world where you are straining to hear. I would hate to live in a world where I couldn’t hear”.
- Joe Patterson, Donegal

I discovered I had a hearing problem when I was 15. An operation at the Eye and Ear Hospital resolved some of the problems but afterwords things began deteriorating again. I finally decided to do something about it after I realised how difficult it was for friends and relatives when they are around someone with a hearing problem. As soon as I got my Hidden Hearing aid, I was so delighted. I am a new woman! I feel like i’m back in a social circle again.
- Adrienne Joyce, Dublin

Terence Casey of Killarney was having difficulty hearing in both working and home life. Hearing family and watching TV he noticed a loss of lots of the conversations. "Since Richard from Hidden Hearing fitted me with the latest digital technology, my life has improved immensely and I don't feel like i'm wearing anything. The aids are small and comfortable. I receive two services every year and my hearing is checked annually to ensure all is on track. Having a hearing problem and ignoring it really reduces your quality of life, hearing is not a luxury it is a necessity and you never realise what you are missing out on, until the problem is corrected.
- Terence Casey, Killarney

Deena Walsh, Director of the Chernobyl Children's Trust in Cork tells the story of Lydia a special young girl whose life was dramatically altered after visiting Hidden Hearing. Twenty year old Lydia has been coming to Cork since she was twelve years old. This bright Belarus native was profoundly deaf and painfully self conscious having been fitted with analogue aids through the health system. "This was inadequate as it amplified all sounds, including passing lorries," Deena says. "After we noticed her becoming withdrawn, we contacted Hidden Hearing and Phil Cornwall. She was tested and fitted with new digital hearing aids. We couldn't believe how small it was and lydia learned to hear all over again." Lydia recently returned to Belarus and is studying computer science and living a life she never imagined she would.
- Lydia Gharyst, Cork