28/08/2026
BBC4 had a wonderful Jaws night last night. The star of the show, besides Bruce the shark, was undoubtedly Robert Shaw as Quint. Quint’s famous tale of the USS Indianapolis was conceived by playwright Howard Sackler, lengthened by screenwriter John Milius and rewritten by Robert Shaw himself, he being a best-selling author as well. He did the first take drunk which was a disaster, but nailed it in one take when sober. It’s masterful and merited an Oscar.
On this day in 1978, Shaw was returning from Castlebar to his lakeside pile in Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo with his wife and children. He pulled over near home, gently excused himself to his wife and got out of the car where he had a massive heart attack and died by the roadside. He was only 51. This event is marked by a plaque by Lough Mask. As you pay your respects, you will invariably be drawn to the lapping waters and ask yourself nervously if that was a fin you just saw for a split second…
