Dr. Matthew Parkes

I was so sorry and shocked to just recently learn of Matthew's untimely passing. I have such fond memories of his kindness and generosity, and the pleasure of his company. I feel fortunate to have known him and to have had the opportunity to have written with him on what was my very first publication as a PhD student in 1991. Laura and I would like to send our deepest condolences to Michelle and family on their sad loss.

We are in deep shock and can still not comprehend that Matthew is gone.
I meet Matthew through university and we spent a lot of time in the Glendalough and Glendasan mines, sometimes digging a little to deep and having to leg it when there was more water behind a silted up entrance than expected.
Later we got to meet every year for the mineral show in my native Munich and he became a good friend to my husband and our little daughter, too. Meeting him and Michelle was always such a highlight!
He was a true friend; gentle, understanding and funny and always absolutely himself.
There are so many moments we think about him or something he said.
We were lucky to have had him as a friend for so many years and we hope to always remember all the good times with him and all the great things he said.
Words cannot express our feelings and our thoughts are with you, Michelle, who has lost so much.
We are so very sorry for you!
Linda, Sebastian and Laura

I find the memories of Matthew keep flooding back. I met him in 2nd year Geology in UCG and for those of us who were friends of Michelle, that was it, he has been a firm fixture in our lives since then.
Return visits to Dublin always involved tea and biscuits in Fontenoy St and pints of Guinness in the Flowing Tide among other places. (And yes it was nearly impossible to buy Matthew a drink. Every round was a battle and with his long legs he would always get to the bar first).
And music. He and Michelle introduced me to Paul Tiernan and Katell Keineg among others. I recall a wonderful evening at John Cale and another at Robert Forster. And I even remember a Christmas gig at the Olympia where a couple of us paid more attention to the bar than the music - even in his exasperation he was very funny and more patient than he needed to be.
The memories go on and on. I am heartbroken for Matthews brothers and sisters, and most especially for his beloved Michelle. My deepest condolences to the Parkes and Davern families. RIP Matthew.

My best memories of my old university pal Matt are from when we were in our early 20s. We were in a shared student house in Sheffield. He had the attic room & access onto a fire escape from which he encouraged all householders to abseil - extremely tricky, what with thrusting yourself off the top of the fire escape, only to swing between the stairs in order to reach the house wall and kick off again. He introduced me to hitch hiking & it took us a week to hitch from Sheffield to Istanbul. Matt had a Trangia stove - near lethal because it needed liquid fuel which we brought with us & transported across Europe. Coming from up north we presumed the weather would be hot & balmy so to reduce the weight of our rucksacks we only took the outer flysheet from the tent with us, we left the inner tent behind. It was freezing & we were saved only by Matt having a couple of emergency foil blankets. He did love a bit of camping kit and feather light luggage was a consistent theme. I can’t think of anyone else but Matt who would drill out the middle of a knife, fork & spoon in order to make carrying the load lighter. And his music. The Psychedelic Furs, Jesus & Mary Chain and Lloyd Cole resonate most. So many messages refer to Matt as a gentle giant. But never did he look so tall as when he was the proud owner of an ancient Morris Minor. Such a small car for such a tall man! I’m so shocked to hear the news, but so many lovely memories of this kindest of men have come back quickly.

Truly saddened to hear of Matthew's sudden and untimely death. I knew him through his work as editor of the Irish Journal of Earth Sciences. The phrase 'a scholar and a gentleman' could have been coined with Matthew in mind. We'll miss him in the RIA Publications Office. Sincerest and deepest condolences to Matthew's family, and much sympathy to his many friends and colleagues.

I'm very sorry to hear of Matthew's death. He was a lovely kind gentleman and we were delighted to collaborate with him in the early 2000s on a number of geological projects here in Carlow. Deepest sympathies to his family and colleagues. RIP

My deepest condolences to Michelle and family. Matthew was a lovely man and will be missed by many.

Michelle, I was so sorry to hear today of Matthew's sudden passing. He was a gentle giant with the broadest, warmest smile. I got to know both of you during our days in UCG's Geology Dept and it was great to meet up with ye more recently in Whelan's at The Frank and Walters gig, last Christmas and the year before......
My heartfelt sympathies to you Michelle and may Matthew rest in peace.

The news of Matthew's passing came late to me but it's impact was still seismic. I hadn't seen Matthew in years but bumped into him in December 2018 when we had a lovely catch up chat about our lives. Matthew was such a great guy with infinite patience wrangling unruly undergrads back when he was a post grad in NUI Galway. My condolences to his family.

My heartfelt sympathies go to you Michelle, and all your family. Matthew was a seriously good geological curator and a really lovely person. Last year, through the Geological Curator’s Group, he helped celebrate my career, but his own deserves even more celebration. What a sad and untimely loss of a colleague and friend. My heart goes out to you.

An absolute exceptional man for whom we loved visiting at the museum. We are so very sorry and send our heartfelt condolences to all his family, friends and beloved cat. May he rest in peace.

I'm very sad to hear of Matthew's passing, he was a longtime member of Dublin Food Coop where we met, and latterly discovered our mutual love of music when we met at a Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny gig. Farewell to a gentleman, condolences to Michelle and the family.

I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Matthew’s passing. I hadn’t seen Matthew for many many years, but I fondly remember him from our days at UCG in the late 1980s.

Always a very empathetic, encouraging, and supportive presence – no more so during the time of late nights and very early mornings when the two of us were panicing like mad trying to get our respective PhD thesis out of the door in time!

An irreplaceable loss to the geological community – one whose legacy will be with us for many years to come, and that alone is the true measure of the man. My heartfelt condolences to Michelle, and his extended family in both Ireland and England. Taken from us far, far, too soon.

I was very sorry to hear that Matthew passed away suddenly. I only recently came to know Matthew, through my Aunt Sheila, when he sent me his book on The Valencia Island Tetrapod Trackway. He also sent me a note with suggestions on sites to visit to learn more about palaeontology. I will treasure his note.

Sincere sympathy to Michelle and to Matthew's extended family. I've known Matthew's name for many years but have only worked with him and known him for the last few years. As has been repeated here many times, gentleness, generosity and an enthusiasm for knowledge were his trademarks. His time meant nothing to him when he was talking to visitors or students at an exhibition or open day. We worked together a lot over the last few months on a shared project for the National Museum and the Geological Survey. I am sad that he won't get to enjoy the fruits of our labours but his vision and he will be honoured in our exhibition. I will remember all he taught me.

Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.

Sadly, and belatedly, I have just learned of the tragic death of my old friend Matthew – much too young.

It is many years now since I strayed from my life as a geologist into the worlds of first IT and then archaeology, leaving Dublin to do so. Regrettably, since then I have only occasionally had the pleasure of meeting Matthew on rare occasions on visits to Dublin and once, I think, when he and Michelle visited Limerick. Apart from moving in the same Dublin geological circles, notably in the Geological Survey of Ireland and in the Irish Geological Association, it was Matthew’s work on the palaeontology of the Lower Palaeozoic rocks of southeast Ireland that brought us together professionally. Matthew was brilliant to work with, always willing and always enthusiastic.

Matthew was also an easy friend to make. He was a larger than life character – quite literally - and I shall greatly miss the chance to meet with him again. No matter how long between our meetings, whenever I spotted Matthew, he brought an instant smile to my face. And he always had a great big grin for me in return. A lovely, gentle giant, he will be sorely missed by everyone, and especially by you, Michelle, to whom my heart goes out. My sincerest condolences also to all his family, and to his – and our – friends.

Rest in Peace my friend.

I'm very sorry for your loss. Matt was a real gentleman and a pleasure to work with. I'll always remember his enthusiasm at outreach events and his goal keeping skills! He will be sorely missed around Beggars Bush. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Our deepest condolences to Michelle and family . We were so sad to hear abourt Matthew's passing . Matthew was a gentleman and pleasure to have known . We are thinking of you at this sad time .
From all the staff @ Dr. O' Carrolls

It is so hard to find the words to truly express our sadness on the sudden passing of Matthew. Matthew was such a kind, considerate and gentle man. We all have such fond memories of Matthew from when we were back home and we will never forget his kindness to Mam when she was still in Corbally.
Our thoughts are with all his family and friends on both sides of the water. I hope you can find some solace in the amazingly kind words and memories expressed on this page as well as all your own personal memories.
May Matthew Rest In Peace.

My deepest sympathies on the passing of Matthew. I had the pleasure of working with him on a fossils exhibition in the National Botanic Gardens and it is one of the highlights of my time working there. He was such a lovely man and so generous with his time and knowledge. I will miss seeing him around the gardens.

My deepest sympathy to Michelle, family and friends. Having seen Matthew only fairly recently, his memories are strong as a lovely person with whom I feel extremely lucky to have shared friendship and a common interest in geology.

As a colleague of Matthew's at the Museum I would like to offer my condolences to his family. While we worked in different departments at the Museum, he always struck me as a very kind, very genuine and gentle man who was passionate about his work, and about engaging with the Museum's visitors. I know he will be deeply missed at the Museum.

Sympathy and sincerest condolences to the entire family may Mathew rest in eternal peace

We spend two month with Matthew, as german internships of the museum. When we weren't unpacking and trying to sort the immense mineral collection, Matthew took us around to Ireland's beautiful geological heritages or playing football. We are so shattered and sad to know he passed away, we can hardly imagine how heartbroken his longtime colleagues, friends and his family must feel.

Sincere condolences to Matthew's family and friends. He was a true gentleman and will be missed greatly.

We had the pleasure of Matthew's company at Davern family events, he was such a nice guy.
Our condolences to Michelle, the Davern and Parkes families.

My sincere condolences to Michelle and to Matthew’s family. I had the pleasure of getting to know Matthew when he very generously helped me with a photographic project in the museum in 2018. He was a true gentleman. I’m so sorry for your loss.

I am sorry for your loss. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Matthew's sudden death. As a geologist myself I enjoyed working with him on the review of the geology of County Louth. He did a great job for us. He will be greatly missed.

Matthew was a dear friend to so many. His warmth and generosity of spirit always shone through, as did his endearing smile. He contributed enormously to the museum, geology, caving and natural heritage communities across Ireland and beyond. His accomplishments live on as a fitting legacy to a man who was highly respected as a geologist and curator, and dearly loved as a colleague, mentor or just a friend. He always gave freely of his time and expertise, yet always was disarmingly modest.
I am so grateful to have known Matthew and saddened that all of us, especially Michelle, the Parkes and Davern families, and his beloved cat Athos, could not have many more years to enjoy his company.
We must remember the good times with Matthew, and there were many.

Deepest condolences to Michelle and the extended Parkes family. Matthew was always a real gentleman; kind and engaging at every encounter. He will be missed greatly.

Michelle and family.
My sincere condolonces on the recent and sudden passing of Matthew.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Matthew over the past ten years - and working with him on many projects in the field of geoheritage. His legacy in Irish geological heritage is a solid as the subject matter he strove to celebrate and publicise.
Matthew was inspiring in his great passion for his work - and his approach to it with a smile and a bit of craic.
He will be greatly missed - by so many.

Michelle, sorry to hear of Matthews passing. Can't imagine what you're going through but hopefully you can draw some comfort and some strength from the life you shared. Take care

I'm so sorry for your loss. Working with Matthew was such a joy. I wanted to learn so much more from him. He was a great man. He will always be in my thoughts. x

Heartful sympathy to Michelle and to Matthew's brothers and sisters and wider family. A terrible shock to everyone who knew him. We met him at an exhibition in Collins Barracks and he was so enthusiastic with my grandsons when they asked him questions. So eager to develop young minds. Although our paths only crossed a few times he made a great impression on us. Its such a terrible loss for you his family and for all the close friends and members of IGA who were his close colleagues. He will be dreadfully missed.

On behalf of the caving community of Ireland, we extend our deepest condolences to Michelle and Matthew's family.

Matthew was a much-loved part of the Irish caving community, whose friendly and generous nature was known by all. He will long be remembered for his dedication to the study of caves in Ireland and his vast knowledge of Ireland's geology, as well as his willingness to share this and educate others.

We have lost a great friend and a tireless champion of the caves of Ireland.

Vale.

Sincere condolences to Matthew's wife and family. This was a real shock. I worked closely with Matthew in the Earth Science Ireland group, on his Sligo and Clare projects and on other things north and south of the border. It was always the greatest pleasure to meet up with Matthew for his most kindly nature and wide knowledge. He was so good at inspiring others, especially younger people. He had much left to give but those of us who knew him have been blessed. His family must be really proud of his achievements, including the standing he achieved in the geological community throughout this island. It is a privilege to have known his friendship.

Farewell, Matthew. It was a pleasure and an honour to have known you. Deepest sympathy to your grieving wife Michelle, and to your family.

Our geological community has lost a giant; a man so knowledgeable and so generous with that knowledge, that he will be warmly remembered by all who had the good fortune to learn from him.
Our deep condolences to his family. RIP Matthew.
Frank Clissmann, IGA Council.

There are no words Michelle to express our deep sadness for you ,on loosing your beloved Matthew . He was one of life’s true gentlemen in every sense of the word . He was always so pleasant to meet and we enjoyed his company always at the many family gatherings in the past .Please accept our deepest sympathies to yourself , the extended Davrin and Parkes families . Ar dheis De go raimbh a Anam Dilis

My sincerest sympathies to Michelle and the Parkes and Davern families. Matthew was central to matters geological, speleological, public outreach and museum curation in Ireland and beyond. The words “a true gentleman” are attributed to him by everyone. I am personally indebted to him for his curation of my geological specimens, for his advice on caving matters, for his high-level editorial expertise in handling manuscripts submitted to the Irish Journal of Earth Sciences, for his involvement in the Speleological Union of Ireland Expedition Fund Committee. Also, on the day he died, for his advice on a collection of papers that I was about to publish.

Saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Matthew.. Remember him with kindness , from his days in NUIG. In addition to his Academic responsibilities, he possessed the capacity to connect with all staff. May he rest in peace
Harry O Donnell
Barna
Galway

Deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to Michelle and all of Matthew's extended family. It was a great pleasure to have met Matthew and I will always remember him fondly from our time together in the CRC in Swords. Always a smile and kind word for everybody he interacted with. He will be forever remembered by us all in Swords. May he rest in eternal peace.

Michelle and family, I am deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Matthew. Matthew was a true light as a Leader at undergraduate Geology field trips at TCD 1990-92. Think Michelle was there too! He made the evenings so much fun at the mapping field trips over a Guinness or two. He always had time to stop and say hello over later years at GSi or at IGA/IAH. Was only talking about him this summer at the Valentia tetrapod trackway, which we saw this summer, and was a big part of the geotourism initiatives he worked on. Gosh so sad at his passing. He made Geology so cool. RIP Matthew.

To Micelle and family and to Mathew’s brothers, sister and extended family. I was so saddened to hear of Mathew’s sudden death and extend you my deepest condolences.
Mathew was such a lovely man & will be sorely missed.

My deepest condolences to Michelle and Matthew’s family on the sudden passing of Matthew. Matthew was a gentleman. Always kind. May he rest in peace.

To Michelle, the Parkes and Davoren Families our deepest condolences. Matthew was such a wonderful man and we will all miss him. May you find some comfort in fond memories of a life well lived. May he rest in peace, and our best thoughts are with you all.

Matt - the big man: tall, big of heart, good humoured, generous of spirit, ever helpful and obliging. The indomitable force which drove ideas into reality in so many diverse fields of endeavour and ever giving of his time to help others. Thank you for everything, I will miss you. John

I feel incredibly fortunate to have known Matthew. He was a lovely, kind, man who will be so missed. My deepest condolences to Michelle.

My deepest condolences to Michelle and to all of Matthew's family. Matthew was a great colleague, and always a true gentleman. I appreciated his great sense of humour, and his dedication and love of his job and subject area made me proud to call him my colleague. I will truly miss him in the museum.

On behalf of the extended geoscience community at UCC I want to express our deepest sympathy to Michelle and Matthew’s family. We were truly shocked and greatly saddened at the sudden passing of our good friend Matthew last week. Matthew was one of the best know and universally liked figures in Irish geoscience. He made an invaluable contribution to education and the public perception of our science. Always enthusiastic, always so very approachable and engaging, a wonderful communicator, Matthew was a joy to work with. His diverse list of outreach activities and the contribution he made to various geoscience initiatives over the years will not easily be matched. He will be greatly missed. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.

So extremely sad to hear of Matthew's passing. He was a supervisor for my Phd and was so generous with his knowledge and advice. He was kind enough to visit some quarries with me in Wexford. We had stayed in touch over the years and he invited me to publish in the last journal of the MHTI. A true gentleman and kind soul. My condolences to Michelle and family at his very sad time.

Heartfelt condolences to Matthew's family and loved ones. He was such a warm, kind man, generous with his time and knowledge. Only recently had he given myself and my team a tour of the National Museum stores, where he delighted in showing us the various collections and his prized meteorites. We will certainly miss him around Beggars Bush. The world is a poorer place for his loss.

I cherish the memories of my friendship and scientific collaboration with Matthew and I send my deepest sympathy to his family. He will be sorely missed.

Michelle, our thoughts are with you. Deepest condolences on the sudden passing of Matthew. He was such a gentleman. May he rest in peace.

My sincere condolences to Michelle and family.
Matthew was a true gentleman and a bright light to everyone who knew him. As a volunteer of the UCD Minerals project at the museum, Matthew has left me with a lasting and very positive influence through his most generous and knowledgeable ways. It has been a true privilege to curate under his guidance and to share the joy of geology, editing, research and our work well done. He will be greatly missed and forever remembered with appreciation.

Our deepest sympathy to Michelle and to all of Matthew's family on your sudden and untimely loss. We will greatly miss Matthew's expertise and enthusiasm for geological heritage, and his great kindness and generosity in sharing it with others.

Michelle. Deepest Sympathy on the sudden passing of Matthew. Always a gentleman. Rip Matthew.

My deepest sympathy and condolences to all the Family. During my discussions and deliberations with Mathew via the IGI it was obvious that he was extremely professional and was a pleasure to work with. A sad time for us all.

My deepest condolences to you Michelle, and to Matthew's family and friends. Matthew was such a gentle-natured and thoughtful man who had a great sense of humour and an exceptional knowledge for anything nature related.
Last Christmas was my first Christmas at the museum and the absolute highlight was chatting to Matthew on the way down to the Glimmerman pub, Stoneybatter with the others for our staff party - followed by a mandatory pint of Guinness. People were always automatically happier when he was in the room. A rare gem of a person. Rest in Peace, Matthew. You will be so missed.

Sincere condolences to the Parkes and extended families. From UCG to Rathcroghan to Bunmahon to the GSI and to the NMI; these were just a few of the places that I have knowledge of Matthew’s immense contribution. They were always made with quiet and steady professionalism. His contribution to Earth science will be missed.