Pat Quinn (businessman)
Encyclopedia
Pat Quinn was an Irish
publican, hotelier, music promoter, storyteller
, former millionaire and founder of the Quinnsworth
supermarket chain, which was Ireland's first supermarket chain. He invented the term "yellow pack
". According to The Irish Times
, he was "one of the country's best-known business figures in the 1960s and 1970s", "the whizz kid of the Irish grocery business" and "a well-known figure in the Irish-Canadian community" at his death. He worked, honeymoon
ed and eventually settled with his family in Toronto
. The Toronto Sun
described him as "County Leitrim
's favourite son".
, County Leitrim
. His mother ran McNamee's, a nearby public house and grocery store, and his father was a local member of the Garda Síochána
. The family were undertakers as well. His brothers Fersey, Fintan and Kevin, and sister Annette Maher survived him, though another sister, Mary Lynch, died before him. Quinn boarded at St. Mel's College
, County Longford
as a boarder before beginning work as a stockboy at Woolworths
in Limerick
, being promoted to the position of store manager by the age of 22. In 1958, himself and uncle Peter Quinn opened Quinn Co on Longford's Main Street.
, The Drifters
and the Royal Showband. He encountered his future wife, Anne, at one of these performances in 1960.
Quinn advanced his learning of the grocery and music business in Canada, and promoted artists such as The Beach Boys
, Johnny Cash
, The Dave Clark Five
, The Dubliners
, Roy Orbison
and The Supremes
. He introduced the Rolling Stones to North America
in 1965, with Canadian police being called to a riot at the band's debut concert in London, Ontario
.
. He asked them to open a branch of their group in Stillorgan
's shopping centre. When they refused Quinn established his first Quinnsworth branch in Dublin's Stillorgan Shopping Centre in December of the following year, inspired by the Woolworths brand. He worked alongside his wife to clean up in the evenings after the store had shut. Quinn had set up six stores and made £6 million within five years.
Upon learning that the fee to hire George Best
to open one of his stores was £1,000 he donated the money to charity, believing he had a high enough profile to perform the ceremony on his own.
, the latter of which had to change its name to avoid confusion with Quinnsworth.
's Associated British Foods
in the early 1970s, becoming a millionaire at the age of 36. By the time he sold Quinnsworth he had stores in Ballymun
, Dundrum
, Rathfarnham
, Douglas, Wilton
, Galway
and Shannon
.
jumper in "the fashion and retailing statement of the late 1960s", as Sam Smyth dubbed it in the Irish Independent
after his death. His love for polo necks led him to arrive at one funeral dressed in a pink polo neck.
, a silver Rolls Royce
which had a telephone and a second car, a Mercedes
for the family.
He owned three racehorses, one which was called Leitrim.
Quinn and his wife, Anne, had their honeymoon
in Toronto
, a place where they were to spend much of their life from then onwards. They had seven children Bernard, Patrick, Lisa, Gavin, Paul, Tanya and Barry-John. Two became orthodontist
s, one works in the medical profession and the other four succeeded Quinn in his Canadian pub business.
(closed in 1975) and Mooneys (which went into receivership
).
He went on to set up a hotel and sports complex in Kilternan
, County Dublin
. His intention had been to create a similar outlet to that seen in The Shining
, however the 1973 oil crisis
disrupted this plan.
The Pat Quinn Club, for which, upon its announcement, Quinn chartered a plane to Bristol
, UK
especially for a group of journalists to show them a similar club, would later be called “one of the most spectacular [Irish] business failures on record”.
He opened three pool halls, initially above Rathmines
Stella cinema and later in Bray
and Drogheda
and also set up an “executive coach service” for businessmen travelling around Ireland.
There were also discount stores in Ballymun
and Finglas
, Ringsend
's Pierrot snooker and gaming club and the Shoparound Centre on Dublin's South Great George's Street.
The last venture shut in early 1986 following below average Christmas
trading in 1985. Quinn moved to Toronto in 1986, emigrating to escape the recession which gripped Ireland at this time.
bar. He appeared in the Toronto Star
s business section to demonstrate his prowess in the Canadian business industry. Quinn also continued his music promotion after his return to Canada.
. Senator
Feargal Quinn
, the founder of rival Superquinn, remarked upon the death of his namesake: "He certainly changed retailing in Ireland [...] He was always on the microphone in the shop giving away cars and houses". Louis Copeland, the tailor responsible for the suits he wore in his advertisements, commented: "I remember going to his house in Killiney and the phone never stopped, calls from people down the country looking for jobs. And Pat tried to fix something for all of them." Quinn's funeral at a full St. Michael's Cathedral on 28 November 2009 was attended by more than 800 people, including the mayor of Toronto. Tenor Colm Wilkinson
sang the hymn "Amazing Grace
". Irish ambassador
to Canada, Declan Kelly
, described Quinn and his wife as "the embodiment of Ireland".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
publican, hotelier, music promoter, storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, former millionaire and founder of the Quinnsworth
Quinnsworth
Quinnsworth was a supermarket company in the Republic of Ireland, that was founded by the entrepreneur Pat Quinn.-History:Quinnsworth was founded by Pat Quinn in 1966 and was sold to Powers Supermarkets Limited in the 1970s. During the 1970s, the slogan used was "Let's get it all together at...
supermarket chain, which was Ireland's first supermarket chain. He invented the term "yellow pack
Yellow Pack
Yellow Pack was a brand of generic groceries, first launched in March 1980 by Fine Fare, a British regional supermarket chain ultimately owned by the Weston family, whose extensive interests include the UK's Associated British Foods, Loblaws Companies in North America, and a range of upmarket...
". According to The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, he was "one of the country's best-known business figures in the 1960s and 1970s", "the whizz kid of the Irish grocery business" and "a well-known figure in the Irish-Canadian community" at his death. He worked, honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
ed and eventually settled with his family in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
described him as "County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
's favourite son".
Early life
Quinn was born on 1 July 1935 and grew up in ClooneCloone
Cloone is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. The village is located in the south of the county, just off the R201 regional road. It is a neighbouring town of Mohill.Its name is an Anglicised version of the Irish-language word cluain, meaning meadow....
, County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
. His mother ran McNamee's, a nearby public house and grocery store, and his father was a local member of the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
. The family were undertakers as well. His brothers Fersey, Fintan and Kevin, and sister Annette Maher survived him, though another sister, Mary Lynch, died before him. Quinn boarded at St. Mel's College
St. Mel's College
St. Mel's College is a school in Longford, Ireland. It opened in September 1865 with 48 boarders and 25 dayboys. Fr. James Reynolds was the first president. Previously he had been Superior of St. Mel's Day School in the Market Square....
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
as a boarder before beginning work as a stockboy at Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, being promoted to the position of store manager by the age of 22. In 1958, himself and uncle Peter Quinn opened Quinn Co on Longford's Main Street.
Promoter of music events
Quinn was known as a promoter of music events during the 1960s in Ireland. He hosted events at Quinn County, featuring pop stars such as Joe DolanJoe Dolan
Joseph "Joe" Francis Robert Dolan was an Irish entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening songs...
, The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
and the Royal Showband. He encountered his future wife, Anne, at one of these performances in 1960.
Quinn advanced his learning of the grocery and music business in Canada, and promoted artists such as The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
, The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
and The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
. He introduced the Rolling Stones to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1965, with Canadian police being called to a riot at the band's debut concert in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
Quinnsworth
Quinn returned to his homeland in 1965 at which point he was hired as general manager of the H Williams supermarket groupH Williams (supermarket)
H Williams was a supermarket chain in the Republic of Ireland. H Williams collapsed in 1987, following a price war that led to the 1987 amendment to the Groceries Order in an effort to protect the market from further concentration....
. He asked them to open a branch of their group in Stillorgan
Stillorgan
Stillorgan , formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, and contains many housing estates, shops and other facilities, with the old village centre still present...
's shopping centre. When they refused Quinn established his first Quinnsworth branch in Dublin's Stillorgan Shopping Centre in December of the following year, inspired by the Woolworths brand. He worked alongside his wife to clean up in the evenings after the store had shut. Quinn had set up six stores and made £6 million within five years.
Upon learning that the fee to hire George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
to open one of his stores was £1,000 he donated the money to charity, believing he had a high enough profile to perform the ceremony on his own.
Rival stores
Quinn rivalled other Irish stores such as Dunnes and SuperquinnSuperquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
, the latter of which had to change its name to avoid confusion with Quinnsworth.
Selling
Quinn sold his Quinnsworth chain to Galen WestonGalen Weston
Willard Gordon Galen Weston, OC, OOnt , is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and President of George Weston Limited...
's Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods plc is a global food, ingredients and retail company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its ingredients division is the world's second largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major producer of other ingredients including emulsifiers, enzymes and lactose...
in the early 1970s, becoming a millionaire at the age of 36. By the time he sold Quinnsworth he had stores in Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
, Dundrum
Dundrum
Dundrum is the name of several places:in Ireland:*Dundrum, Dublin, a suburb of Dublin city.**Dundrum Town Centre, a shopping centre*Dundrum, County Tipperary** the Dundrum meteorite of 1865, which fell in Munster, Ireland...
, Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
, Douglas, Wilton
Wilton
- England :*Wilton, Cumbria, a place in the county of Cumbria*Wilton, Herefordshire, a village in south Herefordshire*Wilton, North Yorkshire, a place in the county of North Yorkshire*Wilton, Redcar and Cleveland, a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland...
, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Shannon
Shannon, County Clare
Shannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a town located in County Clare. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick city and Ennis....
.
Polo necks
He is noted for participating in his own advertising, wearing a white polo neckPolo neck
A polo neck or turtle neck or skivvy is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting, round, and high collar that folds over and covers the neck...
jumper in "the fashion and retailing statement of the late 1960s", as Sam Smyth dubbed it in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
after his death. His love for polo necks led him to arrive at one funeral dressed in a pink polo neck.
Personal life
He purchased a house in KillineyKilliney
Killiney is a suburb of Dublin in south County Dublin, Ireland. It is within the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County. The area is by the coast, south of neighbouring Dalkey, and north to Shankill area in the most southern outskirt of Dublin....
, a silver Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
which had a telephone and a second car, a Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
for the family.
He owned three racehorses, one which was called Leitrim.
Quinn and his wife, Anne, had their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, a place where they were to spend much of their life from then onwards. They had seven children Bernard, Patrick, Lisa, Gavin, Paul, Tanya and Barry-John. Two became orthodontist
Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions , which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both...
s, one works in the medical profession and the other four succeeded Quinn in his Canadian pub business.
Ownerships
Quinn then purchased several pubs, such as the Dead Man's Inn in PalmerstownPalmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
(closed in 1975) and Mooneys (which went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
).
He went on to set up a hotel and sports complex in Kilternan
Kilternan
Kilternan is a village in County of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains south of Dublin, near the border with County Wicklow....
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
. His intention had been to create a similar outlet to that seen in The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
, however the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
disrupted this plan.
The Pat Quinn Club, for which, upon its announcement, Quinn chartered a plane to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
especially for a group of journalists to show them a similar club, would later be called “one of the most spectacular [Irish] business failures on record”.
He opened three pool halls, initially above Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
Stella cinema and later in Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
and Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
and also set up an “executive coach service” for businessmen travelling around Ireland.
There were also discount stores in Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
and Finglas
Finglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...
, Ringsend
Ringsend
Ringsend is a southside inner suburb of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey, about two kilometres east of the city centre, and is the southern terminus of the East Link Toll Bridge....
's Pierrot snooker and gaming club and the Shoparound Centre on Dublin's South Great George's Street.
The last venture shut in early 1986 following below average Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
trading in 1985. Quinn moved to Toronto in 1986, emigrating to escape the recession which gripped Ireland at this time.
Later years
Quinn initially sold books and crisps in Canada. He set up his first bar there in 2001. His family are known in Canada for their Toronto restaurants and pubs, which include the Irish Embassy and PJ O'Briens, as well as one MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
bar. He appeared in the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
s business section to demonstrate his prowess in the Canadian business industry. Quinn also continued his music promotion after his return to Canada.
Death
He died aged 74 in Canada on 23 November 2009 when he succumbed to renal failureRenal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
Feargal Quinn
Feargal Quinn
Feargal Quinn is an Irish politician, businessman, television personality and an independent member of Seanad Éireann.-Early and personal life:...
, the founder of rival Superquinn, remarked upon the death of his namesake: "He certainly changed retailing in Ireland [...] He was always on the microphone in the shop giving away cars and houses". Louis Copeland, the tailor responsible for the suits he wore in his advertisements, commented: "I remember going to his house in Killiney and the phone never stopped, calls from people down the country looking for jobs. And Pat tried to fix something for all of them." Quinn's funeral at a full St. Michael's Cathedral on 28 November 2009 was attended by more than 800 people, including the mayor of Toronto. Tenor Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
sang the hymn "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
". Irish ambassador
Foreign relations of the Republic of Ireland
The foreign relations of Ireland are substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United States and United Kingdom are also important to the country. It is one of the group of smaller nations in the EU, and has traditionally followed a...
to Canada, Declan Kelly
Declan Kelly
Declan Kelly is the current Irish Ambassador to Malaysia and Thailand. Prior to that appointment he was the Irish Ambassador to Canada, succeeding Martin Burke.Married to Anne Bernadette Kelly, he gave the 2007 convocation address at St...
, described Quinn and his wife as "the embodiment of Ireland".
External links
- Obituary in The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...