This year must not be allowed pass without a tribute to Dr Joy Carey and an acknowledgment of her contribution to the lives of so many colleagues and former students. When she died, a mixture of emotions flooded the minds of those who knew her. We had all lost a valued friend, yet Joy had been released from her suffering and was being reunited with her parents and brothers. The loss was greatest for her sisters Sheila and Treasa, who so lovingly cared for her for many years, and to whom goes the deepest sympathy and admiration. Joy was born in London; her father, Dr Ned Carey, was a graduate of the old Cecilia Street Medical School, Dublin, who maintained strong associations with UCD and was a prominent member of the NUI Club in London.
Her three brothers, Paddy, Johnny and Niall, graduated in medicine from UCD, where Joy studied science, taking her B.Sc. (Hons) in 1949, M.Sc. in 1951, and Ph.D. in 1957. She was an accomplished sportswoman and played inter-varsity tennis for UCD. She studied for her Ph.D. under the late Prof E. J. Conway, FRS, head of what was then the combined department of biochemistry and pharmacology. Appointed by Conway to set up a radio-isotope laboratory, she trained in Harwell and the US and returned to join the staff of the department of which she was a very dear and special member.
She was one of the three intrepid ladies, known as "Conway's Girls", in Lab 31 of the department's original home at Earlsfort Terrace. She worked on the electrolyte exchanges induced in muscle when exposed to media containing varying amounts of sodium and potassium. These studies contributed to the development of Conway's theories on factors governing the distribution of ions across the cell membrane, which are as relevant today as they were in the 1950s.
In his biographical memoir on Conway, written for the Royal Society, Prof Maizels commented: "Conway's papers with his collaborators made a notable contribution to our knowledge of the physiology of muscle and are still essential reading for anyone interested in electrolyte balance in muscle." Those collaborators included Roddie Kernan (later professor of physiology), Don Hingerty (later professor of biochemistry) and Drs Joy Carey, Maura Beary and Honor Geoghegan.
A very popular lecturer, Joy was also the department's radiation protection officer and was director of studies for the final year (honours) class. During her later years in the department she bore a progressive affliction by MS with characteristic stoicism, bravery and good humour; these she maintained throughout her retirement, which began in 1982. To generations of graduates she was a confidante and adviser and was so beloved by them that many continued regularly to correspond with and to visit her. No matter where in the world one met a biochemistry graduate of that era, they would without exception ask: "How is Dr Carey?" A visit to Joy was a most uplifting experience. Her courage and good humour were infectious. She accepted her illness without a trace of anger or resentment. It was fascinating to observe how an encounter with her could bring out the innate goodness in the most unlikely people. Her love for and her interest in her students was inspiring. Joy is remembered for her loving concern for the students, her wonderful sense of humour and her dedicated contribution to the work of the department. Her place in its history was recognised in 1966 when the student Biochemical Society held the Joy Carey Lecture in her honour.
M.G.H.