Film Ireland talks with Toner Quinn about his book Count Me Out: Selected Writings of Filmmaker Bob Quinn, a landmark collection of essays and articles spanning the 1960s to the 2020s by the iconoclastic Irish filmmaker, photographer and writer.
It’s been a big year for Irish-language cinema. With Kneecap’s anarchic energy set to represent us at the Oscars, let’s not forget the dreamers and the punks who paved the way. Bob Quinn is an outspoken maverick, a filmmaker and an artist who has graced the pages of our print magazine on many occasions. Bob’s work spans generations, and in 1978, he directed Poitín, the first feature film in the Irish language. Charting a lifetime of craft and creativity, Bob’s son Toner Quinn has curated a collection of Bob’s essays and writings. Count Me Out: Selected Writings of Filmmaker Bob Quinn gives readers insight into the creative mind who played such a huge part in forging what we know as Irish cinema today.
“Although my father is known as a filmmaker, writing is a passion of his,” Toner explains. “He has always composed essays and articles and has published several books, usually between films. There is great irreverence and wit in his writing, not to mention strong opinions, and I thought a collection would be of interest to those who are curious about his work, particularly young filmmakers and artists. I meet them all the time, and they ask about him.”
Bob Quinn was born in Dublin in the ’30s, and as a filmmaker, writer, and photographer, his work spans decades and genres. His films include Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoire, Cloch, Poitín, The Family, Atlantean, and Budawanny. Two of his films are held in the Museum of Modern Art in New York; he has created an extensive photographic record of cultural life in Connemara; and authored numerous books, including Smokey Hollow and The Atlantean Irish: Ireland’s Oriental and Maritime Heritage. Just last December, Bob’s lifetime of contributions to the cultural landscape, was honoured by the industry during the Galway UNESCO City of Film’s 10-Year Anniversary celebrations.
“To be honest, I still find it incredible when I realise the amount of work he produced and what he achieved—from Poitín 5rto Atlantean to Budawanny to Maverick to the Gaeltacht activism,” Toner comments. “You need to be an extremely driven person to persist like that, when often the task can seem impossible, but the essays in this collection showed how he thought, and they will hopefully serve as inspiration for others.” And the inspiration is evident, as Toner himself is a musician, writer, editor, publisher and lecturer, and recently published a volume of his own writing titled What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music.
Assembling the collection proved to be a personal journey for Toner, one that illuminated his own family history. “It was interesting for me because I was discovering more about my own life, particularly the 1970s when we were all small children,” he reflects. “I found out more about my parents’ story. In the 1980s and 1990s, I had a better sense of what he was up to, but I saw the other personal side too, of the cultural and political battles he was engaged in. I have tried to explore some of that in the introduction to the book.”
Reflecting on the era that shaped Bob’s vision, Toner highlights the determination of the creative community in 1970s Ireland. “It may seem like a different world when Cinegael [Bob’s production company] was founded and my parents opened the cinema in An Cheathrú Rua in Connemara in the 1970s. There was clearly a spirit in the air, a sense of non-conformism, and an independence of mind. But they were part of a community of artists, activists, and intellectuals. That’s all it ever takes really to cause change, and that opportunity is always open to us.”
Bob Quinn stands on a legacy of radical vision, creativity, and a commitment to challenging the status quo. This collection not only gives insight into his processes but presents a call to action for future generations of filmmakers to carry his torch of dissent and artistry. A message that’s now, unfortunately, more timely and important than ever.
