Bob Quinn ( ga, Roibeard Ó Cuinn) (born
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, 1935) is an
Irish filmmaker, writer and photographer who directed ''
Poitín
Poitín (), anglicized as poteen () or potcheen, is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40–90% ABV). Former common names for Poitín were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the ...
'' (1978), the first feature film entirely in the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
. His documentary work includes
''Atlantean'', a series of four documentaries about the origins of the Irish people. Quinn has a history of protesting the commercialisation of television, resigning from RTÉ in 1969 on that basis and resigning from the
RTÉ Authority in 1999 to protest
toy advertising
Toy advertising is the promotion of toys through a variety of media. Advertising campaigns for toys have been criticised for trading on children's naivete and for turning children into premature consumers. Advertising to children is usually regu ...
. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Irish Film Institute
The Irish Film Institute (IFI; ), formerly the Irish Film Centre, is both an arthouse cinema and a national body that supports Irish film heritage. The IFI presents film festivals, retrospectives and curated seasons, along with independent, ...
in 2001 and is a member of the
Aosdána
Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...
.
Early life and television career
Quinn was born in Dublin in 1935.
After a series of other jobs, he moved into television in 1961, joining Ireland's national public-service television station,
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
, as a trainee studio operator the year it first broadcast.
He worked up to directing films there, but resigned in 1969 in protest against the commercialisation of the network. He wrote his first book, ''Sit Down and be Counted'' with
Lelia Doolan
Lelia Doolan (born 1934) is an Irish television producer.
Doolan was born in Cork in 1934. She studied French and German at University College Dublin, where she won a scholarship to study at the Brecht Theatre in Germany.
She presented and acte ...
and Jack Dowley, who had also quit, about that episode.
In 1973, he established his own production company, Cinegael, in
Carraroe
Carraroe (in Irish, and officially, , meaning 'the red quarter') is a village in County Galway, Ireland, in the Irish-speaking region (Gaeltacht) of Connemara. It is known for its traditional fishing boats, the Galway Hookers. Its population ...
, County Galway, together with a cinema by the same name, in which Quinn and his family lived.
In June 1995, Quinn was appointed to the
RTÉ Authority.
After he criticised RTÉ on Tonight With
Vincent Browne
Vincent Browne (born 17 July 1944) is an Irish print and broadcast journalist. He is a columnist with ''The Irish Times'' and ''The Sunday Business Post'' and a non-practising barrister. From 1996 until 2007, he presented a nightly talk-show ...
, on
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 ( ga, RTÉ Raidió 1) is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926.
The total budget for th ...
, on 7 November 1996, he was removed from the panel interviewing candidates to be
Director-General of RTÉ
The Director-General is chief executive and editor-in-chief of public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). The current director-general is Dee Forbes, who replaced Noel Curran in the role in 2016.
Appointment and role
The RT ...
. Quinn had also been part of the campaign that led to the launch of TnaG, now
TG4
TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
TG4 was formerly known ...
, on 31 October 1996. While on the Authority, he suspended his own membership every Christmas to protest RTÉ's reliance on
toy advertising
Toy advertising is the promotion of toys through a variety of media. Advertising campaigns for toys have been criticised for trading on children's naivete and for turning children into premature consumers. Advertising to children is usually regu ...
aimed at children, and he quit the Authority in July 1999, saying that "to brainwash children is simply unacceptable and the pressure it puts on parents to buy these products is simply scandalous" and that RTÉ needed to do more to represent regions of Ireland outside the capital, Dublin.
Filmmaking
In 1978, Quinn made ''
Poitín
Poitín (), anglicized as poteen () or potcheen, is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40–90% ABV). Former common names for Poitín were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the ...
'', which was the first feature film ever made entirely in the Irish language. It was also the first feature film to receive funding from the
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally ga, An Chomhairle Ealaíon) is the independent "Irish government agency for developing the arts."
About
It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encour ...
. The film was a story about an illegal distiller of
poitín
Poitín (), anglicized as poteen () or potcheen, is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40–90% ABV). Former common names for Poitín were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the ...
in rural
Connemara
Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...
and starred
Cyril Cusack
Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland’s finest thespians, and was renowned for his int ...
,
Donal McCann
Donal McCann (7 May 1943 – 17 July 1999) was an Irish stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel and for his lead role in John Huston's last film, '' The Dead''. In 2020, he was listed as number ...
and
Niall Tóibín
Niall Tóibín (; 21 November 1929 – 13 November 2019) was an Irish comedian and actor. Born in Cork into an Irish speaking family, Tóibín grew up on the north-side of the city in Bishop's Field.
He appeared in ''Ryan's Daughter'', ''Brides ...
. The premiere was held in Carraroe.
Quinn's 1978 documentary ''The Family'', a profile of the
Atlantis commune made for RTÉ, was considered too disturbing to air and was not broadcast until the 1991. It was featured at the 2017 Tulca Festival of Visual Arts in
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
, which was themed around the commune nicknamed The Screamers.
In 1986, Quinn wrote the script that he made into ''Budawanny'' in 1987 and for which he was awarded an Arts Council Film Script Award. Based on the 1983 novel ''Suil le Breith'' ("About Us") by , it tells the story of a parish priest on a
Gaeltacht
( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home.
The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...
island who gets his housekeeper, Marion, pregnant and wrestles with his love for her and his commitment to the priesthood and his community. In 1994 he revisited ''Budawanny'' to make ''The Bishop's Story'', in which the priest of ''Budawanny'' is now an older bishop at a retreat house and recounts his story to a younger priest who is there to address his own alcoholism and
paedophilia
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty ...
. The flashbacks to the earlier events are told using material from ''Budawanny''.
In July 1989, Quinn founded the
Galway Film Fleadh
The Galway Film Fleadh (; Irish for "festival") is an international film festival founded in 1989 as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Describing itself as Ireland’s leading film festival, the event is held every July in Galway city in Ireland ...
with Lelia Doolan, Miriam Allen, Joe MacMahon and Steve Woods. The first Fleadh was held at the
Claddagh Palace
The Claddagh Palace cinema, originally called the Estoria, opened its doors in 1939, and was located in Lower Salthill in Galway, Ireland. The cinema closed in 1995, and was redeveloped as an apartment complex. The last movie to be shown at the ...
.
Awards and recognition
Quinn received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Irish Film Institute
The Irish Film Institute (IFI; ), formerly the Irish Film Centre, is both an arthouse cinema and a national body that supports Irish film heritage. The IFI presents film festivals, retrospectives and curated seasons, along with independent, ...
in 2001.
He is a member of the
Aosdána
Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...
.
Exhibitions and retrospectives
In 2010, Quinn donated 25,000 of his
negatives, taken over a period of 40 years, to the library of the
National University of Ireland Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
. A selection were put on temporary display at
Galway City Museum
Galway City Museum ( ga, Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe, IPA: mˠuːsˠeːmʲˈkahɾˠəxˈnˠaˈɡal̪ʲəvʲə is a museum in Galway City, County Galway, Ireland. It was founded on 29 July 2006, and is located beside the Spanish Arch.
Hist ...
.
TG4
TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
TG4 was formerly known ...
aired a 13-week retrospective of Quinn's work beginning in October 2011.
The first annual
Clare Island
Clare Island ( or ''Oileán Chliara''), also historically Inishcleer, is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. Historically part of the kingdom of Umhaill, it is famous as the home of the 15th century pi ...
Film Festival was a retrospective of Quinn's films in 2013.
Two of Quinn's films are at the New York
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
.
Family life
Quinn has six children and (as of 2017) ten grandchildren.
His son, Robert, is also a filmmaker. He made the film documentary ''Cinegael Paradiso'' about his childhood and his father's work in 2004.
Selected filmography
* ''Why Don't They Shoot People'' (1966)
* ''Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoire'' ("Lament for
Art Ó Laoghaire
Art Ó Laoghaire (IPA:ˈaɾˠt̪ˠoːˈl̪ˠiːəɾʲə, also Airt Ó Laoghaire or Art O'Leary, born 1746, died 4 May 1773), a Roman Catholic member of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland, was a Captain in the Hungarian Hussars Regiment of the army o ...
") (1975)
* ''Cloch'' (stone) (1975)
* ''Self-portrait with Red Car'' (1977)
* ''Listen'' (1978)
*
''Poitín'' (1978)
* ''The Family'' (1978)
*
''The Atlantean Trilogy'' (1983)
* ''Fly Tippers'' (1987)
* ''Budawanny'' (1987)
* ''Pobal in London'', ''Pobal in Boston'', ''Pobal in Germany'' (1988–1990)
* ''The Bishop's Story'' (1994)
* ''Graceville: The Conamaras in Minnesota'' (1996)
* ''Atlantean 2: Navigatio'' (1998). Incorporated in 'The Atlantean Quartet'
* ''It Must Be Done Right'' (1999). TV documentary about
Donal McCann
Donal McCann (7 May 1943 – 17 July 1999) was an Irish stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel and for his lead role in John Huston's last film, '' The Dead''. In 2020, he was listed as number ...
* ''The Emigrant's Dance'' (2000)
* ''Laoch'' (2003)
* ''Splanc Deireadh na Gaeltachta (The Gaeltacht's last spark)'' (2004)
* ''ConTempo Goes West'' (2005)
* ''Vox Humana (Notes on a small opera)'' (2008)
Selected writings
* 1969: ''Sit Down and be Counted: The Cultural Evolution of a Television Station'', with
Lelia Doolan
Lelia Doolan (born 1934) is an Irish television producer.
Doolan was born in Cork in 1934. She studied French and German at University College Dublin, where she won a scholarship to study at the Brecht Theatre in Germany.
She presented and acte ...
and Jack Dowling
* 1986: ''Atlantean''
* 1991: ''Smokey Hollow: A Fictional Memoir''. O'Brien Press
* 1996: ''An Tír Aneol Photography''
* 2001: ''Maverick: A Dissident View of Broadcasting Today''. Brandon
* 2005: ''The Atlantean Irish: Ireland's Oriental and Maritime Heritage''. Lilliput Press
* 2016: ''Aristophanes' Apple''. Self-published
cli-fi
Climate fiction (sometimes shortened as cli-fi) is literature that deals with climate change.Glass, Rodge (31 May 2013).Global Warning: The Rise of 'Cli-fi' retrieved 3 March 2016 Generally speculative in nature but scientifically-grounded, work ...
novel.
Archives
An archive of photographs by Bob Quinn is held at the Library of the National University of Ireland, Galway. See catalogue.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Bob
Irish film directors
Jacob's Award winners
People from County Dublin
People from County Galway
Aosdána members
1935 births
Living people