ONE of Ireland's most distinguished scientists, Professor Tony McKervey, who died aged 79, has been remembered as an "inspirational leader" in his field.
Professor McKervey was the recipient of numerous accolades over a career that spanned more than five decades.
Born in Ederney, Co Fermanagh in 1938, Mr McKervey earned a degree in chemistry from Queen's University Belfast in 1961.
Following a stint at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he returned to Queen's as a lecturer in 1966, before travelling to University College Cork where he was appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry.
He remained in Cork until 1990, when he returned to Queen's as head of the Research Division at the School of Chemistry.
Prof McKervey was also the managing director of QUCHEM, now known as Almac-CSS, from 1997-2000. Almac is now one of largest pharma companies in the world.
His awards include the ASTRA Award of the Royal Dublin Society in 1986 and the Boyle-Higgins Gold Medal of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland in 1993.
Professor Anita Maguire, a former colleague of Prof McKervey's at University College Cork, said he contributed to the development of many careers.
"Tony was an outstanding scientist, a tremendous mentor and an inspirational leader in Organic Chemistry," she said.
"His legacy through his scientific output will continue over future decades as researchers throughout the globe use and cite his publications in their research."
