Biographies A-Z

Quinn, Hugo (Hugh) (1929–87), musician and entertainer, was born 1 August 1929 in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, and educated locally. In the late 1940s he formed a band with several friends that played local club and ballroom dances. Originally called Hugh Tourish and the Carltons (after…

Quinn, John (1870–1924), lawyer, art collector, and patron of literature and the visual arts, was born 24 April 1870 in Tiffin, Ohio, USA, eldest of eight children (of whom two boys and four girls survived infancy) of James William Quinn (d. 1877), a baker, who had emigrated to America…

Quinn, John James (1920–86), businessman, was born in Corrintra, near Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, the second son among twelve children of Patrick Quinn, a farmer, of Corrintra, and his wife Annie (née McAdam) from Avelbane, Co. Monaghan. He attended the local national school at…

Quinn, Joseph Patrick (1854–1916), nationalist, was baptised 3 February 1854 in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, son of John Quinn, gardener, and Rose Quinn (née Corley). He came from an Irish-speaking family. After leaving school he worked for several years as a schoolteacher in his home…

Quinn (O'Quinn), James (1819–81), educator and first catholic bishop of Queensland, Australia, was born 17 March 1819 in Rathbawn, Co. Kildare, son of Matthew Quinn and Mary Quinn (née Doyle). He was educated at Kelly's School, Dublin. On 24 August 1836 he entered the Irish…

Quinn, Pat (Patrick) (1935–2009), businessman, was born 1 July 1935 in Cloone, Co. Leitrim, the eldest of the surviving four sons and two daughters of Bernard Quinn, civic guard of Cloone, and his wife Annie (née McNamee). His mother ran a combined grocery, hardware store and pub,…

Quinn, Thomas Joseph (c.1860–1934), republican, was born at Claremorris, Co. Mayo, the son of a gardener. In the late 1870s Quinn and his elder brother, Joseph Quinn (qv), were active in the Claremorris branch of the…

Quin, Walter (c.1575–1640), writer and royal tutor, was born into a Dublin merchant family. In 1590 he joined the law faculty of the Jesuit University of Ingolstadt where he moved in recusant circles and where his literary aspirations were noted. That year he contributed…

Quin, Windham Thomas Wyndham- (1841–1926), 4th earl of Dunraven, politician and sportsman, was born 12 February 1841 at Adare, Co. Limerick, son of Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham-Quin (qv) (1812–71), 3rd earl of Dunraven,…

Quirke, Diarmuid Francis (1931–94), company director and president of the Federated Union of Employers (FUE), was born 25 August 1931, second son of Eamonn Quirke, civil servant, of 31 Castle St., Dalkey, Co. Dublin, and Christine…