By Jimmy Rhatigan
FOR MILLIONS of people across the globe the Coronavirus Pandemic has been a bitter pill to swallow.
But for a young local entrepreneur it is an ill wind that has given him a business opportunity and an avenue to helping families across urban and rural Kilkenny.
Delivery Solutions is the brainchild of David Duggan, a member of the highly respected Duggan family of The Monster House, High Street, Kilkenny fame.
For generations his family served our people well and
provided hundreds of jobs over the years.
Now, David who worked in the Monster House until 2003 has come up with a bright idea for his native place, a prescription delivery service to local homes that initially will be a local operation but will expand in coming months.
His company will be a two-way street between delivery man and client, a new world service for those who may be cocooning in their homes.
Vital medication
Indeed the innovative plan is for all family members as working parents liaise with Delivery Solutions to ensure that grandparents and great grandparents always have a supply of vital medication.
A small fleet of vehicles is already delivering prescriptions the length and breadth of our city and county and Delivery Solutions is delighted with the warm welcome it has received from local families.
In a run-up to his launch, David Duggan did market research with the pharmacies of greater Kilkenny, also working closely with hospitals, medical centres and Bluebird Homecare Team.
“The reaction of people on their own door steps when we arrive with their medical supplies has been really friendly and rewarding.
“Keeping our distance, we are enjoying chatting with our clients and in turn they are comforted by the knowledge that come rain, hail or snow we will always return to them to replenish their tablet boxes,” David Duggan told The Kilkenny Observer.
Under pressure
Initial plan is to get the pharma section up and running and then to work closely with local retailers to support their businesses that are now more than ever under pressure from online giants in the UK and elsewhere.
“By working as a unit we can not only help to strengthen the lot of retailers in our community who, in fairness, are the lifeblood of local trade and commerce and a jobs’ chain that will continue to support our children and children’s children,” said David.
“We will carry goods from retailers to their customers’ doors so while online services may promise record-breaking delivery times we will always be at a home before them.
“With competition now razor edge, it is most important that as Kilkenny people we should work together to support local, as neighbours’ children we are in this trade and retail battle
together and with a great city and county as our base we have a real advantage.”
Lady Desart
David worked in his family uniform section for many years as the business supplied outfits to schools and the hotel industry.
Originally from Talbot’s Inch, David still lives in the Talbot’s Inch Village where one of our truly great entrepreneurs of yesteryear, Lady Desart lived and promoted small industries that provided jobs for locals and boosted the lot of Kilkenny families.
It is a case of history repeating itself.
His wife Gillian is from Limerick and teaches in Carlow. The couple has four children, Kate, aged 15, Cara 14, twins Tommy and Paddy, 11.
It’s full speed ahead for the Duggan Family as Delivery Solutions cover homes in the main streets, side streets, avenues and boreens of Kilkenny.
David loves working with communities he can identify with.
He reminds that he is not running a courier service but a discreet delivery operation that respects the privacy of clients and carries out the wishes of medical and pharmaceutical suppliers in the region. Contact your local pharmacy for deliveries or David Duggan on 087-2863905 or david@deliverysolutions.ie
