Ciaran McKinney said of Christopher Robson: “My first memory of Christopher is from a fancy dress party at the Hirschfeld Centre. He was wearing a red fez and dark glasses, and was quite convincing as a shadowy figure overlooking the crowd of people partying. My next major memory of him is at another social event with friends and allies from the various groups of feminists, lesbian, and gay activists and others. He was nonchalantly explaining that the running costs of a yacht were similar to having a second car in the family. This was at a time when being in full-time employment could raise eyebrows and have your political credibility questioned, let alone being a homeowner and having a boat! And what I most admired about him then was his capability for earning respect from across the political spectrum, while never having to pretend to be anything else other than a well-educated, very middle-class guy with a cut-glass accent, and a huge commitment to social justice. I was delighted to become, over time, good friends with Christopher and, of course, Bill. They were the only people I always contacted when I was visiting family from London. Indeed, it was while at dinner one evening at Christopher and Bill’s, that he mentioned there was a position at GLEN – Director of Gay HIV Strategies. I applied and was successful, and very unexpectedly came back to Ireland in 2005. One of the loveliest aspects of my return was getting to spend more time with Christopher and Bill, which continues to this day”.

Exhibited as part of ‘Living with Pride: photographs by Christopher Robson’, June-November 2021 at the National Photographic Archive

Physical description: 1 photograph : dye coupler transparency ; 35 mm.