Search Results for 'John Ford'

Tom Grealy, the well known Galway accountant and music aficionado, remembers as a schoolboy the day John Wayne rode into the town. In 1951 Wayne, probably the best known cowboy actor of his day, was in Cong filming The Quiet Man. The film, somewhat surprisingly, remains a world -wide favourite. More than half a century later, it is still regarded by many film makers as the ‘perfect told story’. The involvement of local people among its star studded cast, which included Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen, and Arthur Shields, all at the peak of their careers at the time, won their lasting affection. The occasion is still celebrated in Cong today.

Despite all his bravura and political showmanship, his coarse humour,* a great fixer, a downright trickster and grafter, yet with a genuine kindness that endeared him to vast swathes of Boston voters, James Michael Curley’s personal life was unusually tragic. Following the death of his first wife ‘ Mae’ (nee Herlihy), he remarried a widow, Gertrude Dennis with two sons. This was on the last day of his term as Governor of Massachusetts, January 7 1937, “ to give her at least one day as first lady of the Commonwealth.” Between his two wives he had nine children; but incredibly seven of them predeceased him.

“WHEN I wrote The Colleen Bawn, I invented the Irish drama. It was original in form, in material, in treatment, and in dialogue.” So declared Dion Boucicault of the play which has delighted audiences for more than 150 years and is about to get a new production from Druid.

The Gathering Ireland has announced the details of hundreds of special festivals and events that will take place over the final quarter of the year. The events, spanning sports, music, theatre, business and community are expected to welcome thousands of additional overseas visitors to Ireland in the next three months.

One of the most remarkable theatrical performances of the summer in the west was the Abbey Acts’ production of The Quiet Man, held in the unusual location of a goods shed at an abandoned railway station. However, it provided the catalyst for a string of performances which captured the imagination of Quiet Man fans and drama afficionados and saw the production being brought this weekend to An Taibhdhearc in Galway

The iconic Ashford Castle hotel and resort in Cong, Co Mayo has been sold this week to a United Kingdom based hotelier group for €20 million after a period of receivership.

A transition year student at Ballinrobe Community School

On the eve of taking up a world prestigious position no one had such a baptism of fire as Lord Michael Killanin in September 1972. He was to succeed the autocratic Avery Brundage as president of the International Olympic Committee, and was regarded as a breath of fresh air.

At last filming The Quiet Man began in June 1951, during one of the sunniest summers on record. Everything went smoothly. There was a genuine outpouring of goodwill from the people of Cong and everywhere in Ireland, towards the project. The crew and cast were happy. The actors were generous with signing autographs, making guest appearances at charity events, and had an excellent working relationship with the director John Ford. Ford was in wonderful good form. He had exorcised his war ghosts by making an astonishing 10 movies in only six years. Now he was relaxed and cheerful, beaming to be in Ireland with great actors, many of whom were his friends, and a script which he clearly liked. He had already worked out changes which he had discussed with his friend and adviser Brian Desmond Hurst in their rented house in Spiddal.

Week II