Alan Carey competed in the men’s K-2 500 metres canoe sprint at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games alongside Pat Holmes, qualifying for the semi-final.

A member of the Salmon Leap Canoe Club in Leixlip, Carey was part of a group of young Irish flat-water canoeists who committed to full-time training for the Seoul Games, basing themselves at the Richmond Club in London. The squad achieved strong semi-final placings at the 1991 World Championships in Paris. At Seoul, Carey competed in the K-2 500m with Pat Holmes.

In the run up to the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Carey set the British and Irish K-1 500m record and was only beaten by a metre by the reigning Olympic Champion  in K- 1000m, his less preferred event. He competed in the K-2 500m and 1000m races with Conor Holmes.  The boat, which had immense potential, failed to ‘click’ and was eliminated in the repechage of both events.