Carey first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor football team in 2004.
Cork easily won that game and later qualified for a Munster final showdown with Kerry.
Colm O'Neill and Daniel Goulding combined to score two goals and to help Cork to a narrow 2-10 to 0-15 victory.
Cork, however, won with relative ease by 1-14 to 0-12 and Carey collected a winners' medal in that competition.
[5] It was Carey's first Munster winners’ medal in the senior grade and gave Cork a safe passage into an All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with Donegal.Cork beat Donegal and faced 2008 All Ireland Champions Tyrone.
In 2010 Carey was a common presence in the Cork team that won the Div 1 NFL where they beat Mayo in the Final.
Here they Played down and Cork won the All-Ireland on 19 September by 16 points to 15 where Ray Carey lined out as Number 4.