Maureen O'Hara Revisits Cong-August 2011

Isn't this just a great video of a wonderful lady!

Maureen O Hara revisited Cong on the 60th anniversary
of the making of the film "The Quiet Man" on 26.08.11.

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With special thanks to Mike Ward

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what a wonderful festival , and what a wonderful lady is maureen , she gave so much of her time over to the festival weekend in cong , she loved every moment , as we all did too , and on sunday 28th aug , she attended galways premier screening of se merry doyles wonderful movie DREAMING THE QUIET MAN , it was played to a packed house at ashford castle lodge , maureen gave a wonderful speech , she is as funny witty and fiesty as ever , she had us all in the palm of her hand she could make us laugh or cry with her witt and stories of her QUIET MAN movie days in cong in 1951 , she has total recall ability, she even invited questions from the audience and their were quite a few , including one from a devout male fan whom asked maureen [in jest ] WOULD SHE MARRY HIM , maureen deftly responded with a wonderful account of her love for her late husband captain charles blair , and her treasured memories of him as the only man she ever truly loved . i shook hands with maureen , and welcomed her to the screening she gave me a great big warm friendly smile [ we had already met at the gala dinner in glengarriff last december ] as she sat to watch the movie , she loved it , she clapped , laughed and i secretly think she regreted the movie wasent even longer , she recieved a standing ovation as she rose to leave the function room , their was many an emotional tear shed as she was whisked away in the 1932 vintage motorcar , and on to further engagements to do with the festival , what a gracious lady god bless her .

When Mary Kate and the Father spoke in Gaelic

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At the opening of The Quiet Man Festival in Cong on Friday evening,
you'll be interested to know that Maureen O'Hara recounted this scene
we were discussing the(Irish dialogue in the film) word for word,
the scene where she has to tell the priest her husband slept
in a “mála codlata”, a sleeping bag, on the night of their wedding etc.
Amazing...she remembered every word of it!

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I was delighted to hear her speaking Irish & amazed
she remembered every word...talented lady!

With kind permission of Johanna Ní Mháille

Mary Kate is back in Cong & what a wonderful welcome she got from everyone!

This photograph was taken of Maureen O'Hara at the opening of
The Quiet Man Festival in Cong on Friday evening.

Photographs with kind permission of Johanna Ní Mháille

Here is a link to the Irish Examiner newspaper

SCREEN legend Maureen O’Hara has made an emotional return to Cong
— 60 years after she first set foot there to film The Quiet Man.

Thousands Celebrate The Quiet Man's 60th

and this in The Mayo News

The Quiet Man loudly celebrated

Fans of The Quiet Man film will flock to Cong this weekend for the celebrations to mark the movie’s 60th anniversary

With kind permission of Johanna Ní Mháille

Here is a photo of me with John Wayne's granddaughter Laura Munoz-Bottini
and his daughter Marissa Wayne taken in Cong yesterday evening.

Mike Ward , in Quiet Man costume complete with tandem bike
and in the delightful company of Marissa Wayne, Laura her niece ,
& Judy Varley winner of the Maureen O'Hara look-a-like competition,
which was held in cong village as part of the huge 3 day Quiet Man festival
held in Cong village over the 26th 27th and 28th August ,
the picture was taken on the steps of Ashford Castle
where Maureen was staying as very special guest of the festival

With special thanks to Mike Ward
Save The Quiet Man Cottage

All the above posts, photographs and descriptions,
are with the kind permission of
the administration and members of

Save The Quiet Man Cottage

My thanks particularly to Mike Ward, Patrick McCormick and Johanna Ní Mháille.
Thanks also to Gary McEwan and April L. Morrison
for the use of their photos and descriptions in other threads

Our members please feel free to 'Like' this Facebook page.

Photograph with thanks to April L. Morrison

With Kind permission of Mike Ward and Gus Martin

Marisa Wayne pulling the perfect pint of beer in Pat Cohans bar

Photograph with kind permission of Johanna Ní Mháille

Daniel O'Donnell after singing 'Moonlight in Mayo' to the lovely Maureen O'Hara,
with Marisa and Laura

and from The Mayo News

Cong comes alive in memory of The Quiet Man

Great article and video of Maureen being interviewed

O'Hara tells (nearly) all about The Quiet Man - RTÉ Ten

Cong's Queen gets Royal Treatment

National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie
Saturday August 27 2011
IT WAS one of the biggest blockbusters of its day and put
a small corner of Ireland firmly on the tourist map.

And, some 60-years after Hollywood descended on Cong, Co Mayo,
the tiny village returned the favour by throwing open its doors
to welcome home its biggest ever star.

Legendary actress Maureen O'Hara, who made her name as a feisty,
red-haired starlet alongside John Wayne in the classic film 'The Quiet Man',
broke down in tears as people recounted their memories of the time the cameras
lit up a small corner of 1950s Ireland.

Last night, six decades after she starred as Mary Kate Danagher
alongside John Wayne in the 1952 movie,
O'Hara presided over the official opening
of the Quiet Man festival in Cong.

And, by her side, in the place of her beloved John Wayne,
his daughter Marisa Wayne stood proudly.

After a cheeky question as to whether she might consider a remake of the box office hit,
O'Hara, who celebrated her 91st birthday last week, responded to applause:
"Why would you remake something that was that great?"

O'Hara laughingly revealed she "never missed a Rovers match when I was in school"
after learning Shamrock Rovers soccer team had historically qualified for the Europa League.

Her late father, Charles, was a director of Rovers for a time.
It is hoped the festival, which will see re-enactments of the iconic film,
screenings, lectures and music may become an annual event for the village.

'The Quiet Man' helped shape American perceptions of Ireland that last to this day.

In the process, it also spawned a tourist industry all of its own.

Excitement
Festival organiser Gerry Collins said there was great excitement when
Mrs O'Hara arrived in Cong.

"We had a piper and just as she crossed the bridge a clap of thunder went off,
just like the scene in the movie," he said.

Mr Collins is a self-confessed 'Quiet Man' fanatic and runs a museum dedicated to the film.
"It's one of the best movies ever made, it's a cult and it has retained its charm."
And he credits the film with putting Cong on the tourist map.

"People are still coming from all over the world, they come from Japan, from China,
They coming in their thousands, they are even coming over from Ballyglunin in their busloads."

"It's not going to die off, people think when this generation is gone
that the 'Quiet Man' is gone, it's not because parents are bringing their children even to Cong."

Cong was transformed during the six weeks that director John Ford
and his crew spent filming but, according to local man John Joe Mullin,
the real change came a few years later when American tourists started
seeking out spots where scenes had been shot.

The 78-year-old worked in the Ashford Castle Hotel at the time and brought
Mrs O'Hara her breakfast every morning during filming.

"It was a lovely job and she was a lovely lady. Very, very gracious in her manners."

Among those milling around the famous Cohan's Bar, where John Wayne
supped a pint in the film, and the other many haunts were Wayne's granddaughter,
Laura Monoz Bottini, singer Daniel O'Donnell and his wife Majella, and Dana.
Written by Kevin Keane and Tom Shiel- Irish Independent

Thought I would share this email with you

Lovely flowers for Maureen

and for Marisa Wayne too

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My name is Caitlin Seoighe I am the mother of Roisin Seoighe.
Roisín (aged 11) danced for Maureen O Hara in Cong last week.
She also got a chance to present her with flowers
in Ashford castle before she danced in the village of Cong.
About 2 years ago Roisin wrote to Maureen O hara and she sent Roisín an autographed photo
and when Róisín got invited to Cong to preform for Maureen O Hara she was delighted.
Róisín really looks up to Maureen O Hara as she spoke Gaelic in a Hollywood movie and we speak
Gaelic all the time at home .Also for the amount of fame she achieved coming from Ireland.
I am attaching some photos from the weekend taken by Finnegan Photography, Cong

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And what a lovely email her mother sent to me

Daniel O'Donnell sings to Maureen O'Hara

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