Michael COEY

I offer the extended family and friends of Michael Coey my most heartfelt condolences upon the death of an erudite outgoing and affable man. His sudden death must come as a severe blow to you all after his period of illness in recent times.

I and other Trinity students will always remember Michael from science outreach events in Trinity College where he conveyed his strong enthusiasm for his areas of physics expertise to his assembled audience. His loss will be felt strongly by the Trinity College community and all who encountered him.

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一路走好

Please Rest in Peace Prof. Coey!

We will all miss you terribly!

I was very sorry to hear of Mike's passing. I first encountered Prof. Coey when I worked in the Trinity Research Office years ago. When I saw his extension number come up on my phone, I knew I was in for a complicated question about grant eligibility or a research application procedure, for which Mike generally showed a gleeful disregard.
No doubt many people will speak of his unarguable scientific brilliance but he was also a very kind, funny and respectful colleague to many of the professional support staff in Trinity. He will be missed.
My condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to the Coey family and Mikes close colleagues. He will be missed and Trinity won’t seem the same without him.

Sincere condolences to the Coey family and extended family on Mike’s passing.
Mike was one of the 10 brilliant scientists who were awarded funding under the inaugural funding call of Science Foundation Ireland following international peer review back in 2000.
Mike and his fellow awardees provided the strong foundations on which SFI,and later Research Ireland, have built a rich research network in the following years in Ireland with global reach.
Mike understood the importance of research to Ireland’s economic development and strongly promoted links between Universities and industry while never losing sight of the fundamental importance of basic research.
He acted as supporter,wise advisor and mentor to those of us involved in the establishment of SFI.
May Mike’s gentle soul rest in eternal peace .

When first you traced the field upon the board;
You taught us how to think, not what to say;
Not whence we came, but how our reasons accord;
To hold the line and never drift away.
You found in ordinary ore a flame;
And turned our copper questions into gold;
You set our wayward spins to steady frame;
A father’s care within a scholar’s hold.
In Ireland’s halls and classes, echoes sound;
A formidable force in magnet’s art;
At Curie’s edge, where thresholds are unbound;
You kept us sure, exacting, yet with heart.
Our work continues, latticed by your will;
Your living compass points our northward still;

Its not an exaggeration to say that Ireland has lost its most brilliant scientist since William Hamilton, a unique force in magnetism and magnetic materials and it’s a deep blow to both the scientific community and the Irish education system.

I had the privilege of having him as my PhD supervisor and he taught me how to think. He had a rare gift for finding ordinary people and turning us into capable, classic researchers. He didn’t care where you were from; he cared how you reasoned. In the lab he was exacting and kept you on track; beyond it he was fatherly, kind, and there when you needed help.

His mentorship felt like alchemy, turning copper into gold, and his absence will be felt forever. His legacy lives on in the work he did and the people he shaped.

My deepest condolences to the Coey family, Wong May, James and Dominique and to the scientific community.

We offer our deepest condolences to Wong Mae and all of the Coey family on the sad passing of Mike, rest in peace.

Jean and I are very sorry to hear of Mike's sudden death. As a colleague of his in Trinity College I remember him for his academic brilliance and sheer hard work as a physicist. We also enjoyed the splendid social events that he hosted in one or other of the fine old houses that he restored: in Grenoble, France in the 1970s, and, after he came to Trinity, firstly in Dún Laoghaire and then at his gracious family house in Dunsink. Mike will be greatly missed. Jean and I send our sincere condolences to Wong May and their family.

Truly a titan. His generosity, kindness, and engagement was unstinting. He leaves an enormous legacy. Deepest condolences to his family and close colleagues.

My deepest condolences to Mikes family, Wong May, sons James and Dominic.

I was fortunate to have Mike as my PhD supervisor during the time of the CRANN centre development. The energy of people, collaborations, building networks from academia to industry all championed by Mikes vision and tenacity.

A truly great scientist and visionary.

I'll forever be grateful to Mike for giving me the opportunity to intern in his research group. My experience there strongly inspired me to later pursue a PhD in physics. An outstanding lecturer and true titan in the field of magnetism. Deepest condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.

As a fresh young physics undergraduate (a few decades ago now!) I envisaged college as a place filled with individuals of rare character, lecturers for whom their area of expertise represented not just a job but a life's passion, and who whom it genuinely meant something to impart their knowledge to the generations following. With the more cynical eyes of adulthood I came to realise this was not always so, but Prof Coey certainly exemplified all the traits we associate with a 'vocational' professor, coupled with a suitably memorable personality. I might have long forgotten the concept of hysteresis but he gave me good career advice as I finished my degree, for which I am most grateful. Trinity is poorer for his passing, and my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Professor Coey was one of those lecturers who could, without raising his voice, quietly command a collective respect and attention in his lectures. In return Professor Coey shared his genuine passion and knowledge of Magnetism and Superconductivity with many an undergraduate and post-graduate. Thankyou Mike for inspiring my own career in Physics and Engineering. Condolences to his family - may he rest in peace.

Mike was such an inspiration for magnetism physicists/ students and those in applied fields. Your legacy will live on.

Will be missed, made a big impact that can’t be replaced

RIP Prof Coey,
Sad to hear of the passing of a great man, a man I tortured back in the 80s as an post grad at a time when I knew everything. Well it turned out that only one of us came close to that aspiration and no it wasn't me (who knew?). The world is a less determined, less thoughtful and less knowledgeable place now and not the better for it.

Best wishes to his family and friends at this time, their loss, is, in small part, all our loss.

Deepest condolences to Wong May, sons James and Dominic on the sad passing of Mike. May he rest in peace.

RIP Mike
What an extraordinary personality — it was impossible to match his enthusiasm and boundless passion for science.
Having worked with him for seven years, I was privileged to witness his exceptional expertise in magnetism and his unwavering dedication to research.
He was not only an outstanding scientist but also an inspiring mentor whose guidance and kindness touched countless lives over the past few decades. His legacy will continue to inspire all who had the honor of learning from him.
I will always cherish the lessons he taught me and the encouragement he offered throughout my postdoctoral journey. His influence will remain with me forever.

Prof. Coey liked to collect researchers and students from all backgrounds, nationalities and genders - he was a true DEI champion. Beyond his scientific achievements, and tough character at times, he was warm, understanding and fun; he had depth. I absolutely adored his way of re-writing publications drafts and in doing so, improving our English skills. Very sad to learnt about his passing - grateful for his influence on me and so many others.

Very sorry to hear of Mike’s passing. A true legend of Irish science. His legacy will live on through the many brilliant people he trained and the quality of Irish materials science exemplified by centres such as AMBER. On a personal level, I enjoyed every conversation I ever had with him. He was truly inspiring. Deepest sympathy to all his family, he will be sadly missed.

Je me souviens de Michael comme d'un ami chaleureux, fidèle, et d'un physicien super-imaginatif. La collaboration avec l'Université du Mans, joyeuse et constante durant les 14 années que j'y ai passé, reste un souvenir très fort. Mes condoléances à sa famille, ses amis, et ses nombreux collaborateurs autour du monde.
F. Varret, physicien, professeur émérite à l'Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin.

In my mind’s eye, when I think of a university professor, I think of Mike. He epitomized that role. Mike was always very kind and respectful of me. His expertise in magnetic materials was unmatched and anytime he presented on this topic you could hear a pin drop, such was the reverence of the audience. He was truly visionary. Larger than life, he will be such a loss to science. My sincere condolences to Mike’s family, and all his friends and colleagues at Trinity. May he rest in perfect peace.

RIP Mike.
Having had the privilege of working with him for over 25 years, I mourn not only the loss of a truly eminent scientist, one of the greatest Ireland has produced since independence! but also a remarkable mentor and human being. His brilliance, vision, and unwavering curiosity shaped generations of researchers, myself included. On a personal level, his guidance, kindness, and intellectual generosity have left an indelible mark on my life. I do not think I will ever again meet a scientist of his calibre in my lifetime. His passing is a profound loss to science and to all of us who had the honour of knowing him.

I am deeply saddened to learn of Prof Coey’s passing. He taught us all magnetism as undergraduates, but he also taught us to think for ourselves. We had the honour as students to be taught by ultimately the world expert in the field. He continued to work and think all the way through his seventies. A man who lived a full life and an inspiration to us down the years, even as I saw him in recent weeks from my office window. Sincere condolences to Mike’s family. May he rest in peace.

R.i.p may his soul rest in peace

My heartfelt condolences to Professor Coey’s family, friends, and colleagues at the School of Physics. May his work continue to inspire generations to come.

Thinking of Wong May, James and Dominic as this time. Please let us know if we can do anything to help.
Always enjoyed taking to him about the Bees the garden and growing veg over the years. An interesting character and brilliant mind.
Sending love from Marie and Bob