FOUR PEOPLE ATTENDED Dublin’s Mater Misericordiae Hospital’s eye emergency department in the week following the partial eclipse with symptoms of potential eye damage.

The partial eclipse, which saw almost total coverage of the sun in Ireland, saw thousands of people scrambling for certified glasses to view the phenomenon safely. Others used homemade viewers or utensils to view the moment.

It followed strict advice from medical professionals on the potential damage that looking directly at the Sun – particularly during an eclipse – can cause.

It can burn the light-sensitive cells in your retina within seconds. This is called solar retinopathy. It is painless but leads to blurry vision, headaches and a central blind spot.

That said, some people took their chances. 

A spokesperson for the Mater hospital said four patients presented to their eye emergency department reporting symptoms such as blurred vision and visual distortion.

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“Every patient underwent a comprehensive eye examination, which included Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging.

“All test results were within normal limits, with no clinical evidence of solar retinopathy,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the Mater advises anyone experiencing persistent changes or concerns regarding their vision to seek evaluation from a healthcare or eye care professional.