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Friday, July 1, 2011
FEATURE
www.derryjournal.com
My weekend with THE
Quiet Man
Sixty years ago the village of Cong in the west of Ireland was transformed into a Hollywood set for the filming of the movie classic, ‘The Quiet Man’. Thousands of people from across the world - many of them from the North West - travel to Cong each year to visit the film locations and soak up the atmosphere of this special place. Last weekend, the Journal’s BERNIE MULLEN walked in the footsteps of stars of the movie John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and was completely bowled over by ‘The Quiet Man’ visitor experience. ‘The Quiet Man’ really needs no introduction to older generations at least - we’ve all watched the legendary Irish movie since we were knee high. But there’s one introduction you simply can’t miss during a trip to Cong and it’s the irrepressible Gerry Collins, B&B owner, tour guide and all round expert on ‘The Quiet Man’. Last weekend we stayed at the excellent Michaeleen’s Manor B&B run by Gerry and his wife Margaret. We arrived later than expected on a rain-soaked Friday night and were met with what felt like a hundred thousand welcomes. The hospitable couple who are passionate about promoting ‘The Quiet Man’ film location, opened the Cong Holiday Hostel in 1984 when Gerry was working as a bread deliveryman and Margaret worked as a chef in nearby Ashford Castle. In 1985 a guest in the hostel asked if they ever showed the movie and promised to bring a copy the next time he visited. This was the start of Quiet Man tourism big style. Nine years ago Gerry and Margaret opened the modern Michaeleen’s Manor across the road from their hostel and camping site. The B&B has what’s believed to be the biggest collection of Quiet Man photographs in the world. Built up over the last 20 years, classic black and white framed pictures of scenes from the movie, screen legends John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and wooden plaques with the best lines from the movie adorn the walls of the three-storey accommodation. The lines include such classics as, “Woman of the house - where’s me tae?”; “No patty fingers if you please”; and “A man would need to be a sprinter to catch his wife in a bed like that”. The B&B and Quiet Man Museum are believed to be the first of their kind dedicated to a Hollywood classic. Each of the 12 en-suite bedrooms in the Quiet Man B&B is themed on characters from the film with a plaque above the door. We stayed in a spacious family room named after ‘The Bishop’ in the movie, with views of the tennis court and replica Quiet Man bridge in the grounds of the property which also boasts an outdoor hot-tub, barbecue area, pitch and putt and plenty of car parking.
At breakfast on Saturday morning we met an American couple who were staying in the B&B on their honeymoon. Raymond Ullmer and Leeza Forman from New Jersey got married two and a half years ago but postponed their trip to Cong because of work commitments. Leeza is formerly from the Ukraine, and the appeal of ‘The Quiet Man’ is worldwide with translations of the movie in languages including Japanese.
‘Quiet Man crazies’
Gerry and Margaret Collins at Michaeleen’s Manor B&B in Cong - named after the Matchmaker in the movie. (0107BM01)
LEFT: John Connolly outside Pat Cohan’s Bar (The Quiet Man pub) in Cong. BELOW: A detail of the plaque in front of Pat Cohan’s Bar on location in Cong.
“I’ve seen it more than a hundred times and know every line in the movie”, said Raymond, which would put him in the category of fans known affectionately in the village as “Quiet Man crazies.” There were more of them on a CIE coach party we joined for one of Gerry Collins’ fun-packed Quiet Man walking tours - an experience not to be missed. It comes with audience participation and plenty of laughs along the way. The coach party from Pennsylvania produced a few characters when Gerry roped them in to re-enact clips from the movie with one of the most famous fist fights in cinematic history. A retired policeman and his wife stepped into the leading roles of Sean Thornton (John Wayne) and Mary Kate Danagher (Maureen O’Hara). It was a laugh a minute as Gerry whipped them into shape with takes one, two and three just to get romantic clinches as near to the original as possible! Gerry’s rallying cry for us all “to spread out and cheer like good Protestants” as per the movie, is an ice-breaker you wouldn’t get away with everywhere but he works ‘The Quiet Man’ crowd like nobody’s business. But don’t worry if you’re a shrinking violet, this tour will bring you out of your shell. You won’t be forced to participate if you’d really prefer to watch other people vying for an Oscar - Quiet Man crazy style!
Exact replica
Back at The Quiet Man Museum at the end of the tour there’s more fun to be had when costumes are donned. The Museum is an exact replica of the exterior of ‘White O’Morn’, the thatched cottage used in the film as Sean Thornton’s ancestral home and the original