Bosco Quinn to be remembered this weekend at Mondello Park
Bosco Quinn was an integral part of the Eddie Jordan Racing squad through the formative years, and all the way up to the team’s 1991 Formula 1 debut. He is fondly remembered by many who met or dealt with him in these years and EJ himself always mentioned him and commemorated him with a plaque at the team’s Silverstone’s HQ. When the original Jordan factory was demolished to make way for the state of the art Aston-Martin F1 facility Bosco’s memory was still kept alive with the addition of a beautiful bench in his honour on the site. This weekend at Mondello Park, Bosco will be remembered, as the winner of the HRCA Race will be presented with the impressive Bosco Quinn Trophy. The trophy has been commissioned by Bosco’s family and friends and will be presented each year to the winner of this race going forward.
For those of you who didn’t know Bosco, here is an obituary, penned by his brother Michael.
Richard Bosco Quinn was born on 21st March, 1961. He was the second of five children born to John and Kathleen Quinn (nee Brazil). My uncle Fr. Michael Brazil, who christened all five Quinn children was a member of the order of the Salesians of Don Bosco, hence his unusual second name.
My parents bought the family home in Saint Ursula’s Terrace in 1958 and to this date my mother still lives there. My late father John worked as a Post Office Clerk and my mother Kathleen was a stay-at-home mother.
It wasn’t unusual in those days for ones’ parents not to own a car and mine didn’t. My father had no interest in driving and my mother was too busy to learn. We aren’t sure, but we think that Bosco developed his interest in cars was a result of Saturday trips to the Sports Shop in George’s Street where Daddy would occasionally buy him a dinky car.
In his younger days Bosco was a Sea Scout and a member of Waterford Boat Club. Whilst he showed an interest in other activities and music groups, once they became popular or too mainstream, he would more than likely lose interest in them.
He attended school in Manor Street C.B.S. and Mount Sion. It was during his secondary school days that Richard became known as Bosco. His full name was used for roll call and the unusualness of his second name seemingly appealed to his classmates. By the time he left school he was known to almost everyone as Bosco.
After school he worked as a telephone technician with Telecom Eireann. He spent a number of years there. When he decided to leave, it was work politics rather than the work itself that he found difficult to deal with.
Bosco went from having a permanent and pensionable job with a state body, to living a life with many uncertainties. He moved to a business where contracts, deals and opportunities which appeared permanent one day could can literally disappear overnight.
Bosco developed an interest in motor racing at a young age and acquired his own Formula Ford car in his early twenties. By that stage he had been involved in various aspects of motorsport. He was a rally enthusiast before he developed an interest, that later became a passion, for all aspects of single seater racing.
The “Go To” man for many things at that time was Gay Byrne and Bosco wrote to him looking for “a start” in the motor racing business. Gay forwarded his letter to the then head of sport in RTE, Michael O’Carroll. It is interesting that Michael O’Carroll’s memoir is called “Right Time and Place” because at that very time Eddie Jordan Racing was recruiting new staff. Bosco’s referee and the man who gave him the thumbs up was a fellow motor racing driver Martin McCarthy who knew Eddie Jordan well. Martin remains a close family friend to this day.
When the last race was held at the old Nürburgring in Germany, Bosco set off from Dublin towing his old FF1600. He completed the race and trailed all the way home, satisfied that he had completed at one of the most majestic of all circuits. That was his way and was an indication of the dedication he brought to all his activities.
Bosco began working at Eddie Jordan Racing in 1983 as a mechanic. He spent his career in motor racing there apart from a two-year sabbatical with Magnum Racing. He managed the Jordan F3 programme during its final season in 1988. While the team concentrated on racing Bosco became the factory manager and was tasked with organising the build and fit out of the new F1 factory opposite the entrance to Silverstone Racing Circuit.
His technical background, his ability and willingness to work long hours, his interest and love of the sport combined with this idealism made Bosco an extremely special man. Not many people knew that he was a very spiritual person who loved nature. He owned and had in storage for many years a painted wooden traditional gypsy caravan which he intended to hitch to a horse to enable him to tour the English countryside.
He had worked long and hard to ensure that the changeover (that ironically took place two days after his death) went as smoothly as possible. Bosco always did things was with care, precision and commitment. All that needed doing was done in a relaxed, friendly and competent manner.
Bosco died on 18th December, 1991 as he returned home from another long day finalising details of Jordan Grand Prix’s move into its new facility.
Following an ecumenical service held in St May’s Church near Silverstone a memorial plaque was unveiled at the Jordan Grand Prix factory dedicating the building to Bosco’s memory.
Postscript:
The team that was Jordan Grand Prix in Bosco’s time comprised of less than 100 people. In the prevailing years it has gone through many guises. The scale of the operation today is unrecognisable from its origins. Now, in 2025, it employs approximately 960 people in a new state of the art facility that is the envy of many other Grand Prix teams. Only 3 members of staff remain from the original Jordan days.
On a small framed photo of Bosco presented to the family at the memorial service a colleague named Andy Stevenson (who Bosco had given a job to) wrote “Bosco, I will never forget what you did for me”. He went on to became Chief Mechanic before assuming his current role as Sporting Director of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.
The building that Bosco dedicated so much of his efforts to is no longer in being. However, Andy remained true to his word and he has ensured that Bosco’s legacy continues to live on in Silverstone. He liaised with my mother on the design of a memorial bench to Bosco (which replaces the plaque) and this is now strategically located within the new complex.
It means so much to us as a family that people remember our beloved son, brother and uncle and continue to hold him high esteem.
Michael Quinn
Below are some lovely Facebook comments on a post by Jamie Kent on the Jordan Grand Prix “Jordan Still Buzzing” page, which how the affection in which Bosco is clearly still held:
“Remembering BOSCO Quinn on his Anniversary. To me he was a guy that lived around the corner but died tragically. I never met the man (as he was 15 years older) but I knew his family and was aware of his involvement in Jordan Grand Prix in the early days. I pass his grave regularly and as a fellow motorsport man give a little nod. RIP”
“Simon Hough: “My blood gone cold. This man helped me in so many ways. I worked under him for the 89, 90 F3000 seasons. I could never understand why more has not been said of this incredible man. It was so busy at Jordan that he has been forgotten. I think it is imperative that his story be told. With out Bosco, JGP my not have been born. There were only a few persons in the EJ team compared to the competition and they punched massively above their weight because of each and every person that worked there.”
The HRCA cars might be old, but the drivers push them to the limits. We have had some great battles in the class so far in 2025 so you can be sure the Bosco Quinn Trophy will be hard fought for on Sunday afternoon…
Thanks to Martin McCarthy and Stephen Kelly for their help with this article.
Leo
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