The Quiet Man

[arthurarnell]

Hi,

I was hoping to pick up on Robbie's thread about the Quiet Man Cottage in Ireland but looking back either I've missed it or it was wiped out. But anyway I my last thread about my visit to London I referred to a mysterious man from Kent.

If you are standing in a queue for two and a half hours you tend to talk to your neighbours - yes even the English get to be sociable eventually- this man told me an amazing story which even if half true is weird and goes a long way to explaining the reasons why the John Wayne Cottage in the Quiet Man is in the state it is.

Apparently this man is a Quiet Man fan and has a large collection of Quiet Man memorabillia. He also told me that the Cottage is owned by a man named Conway or Conroy (I think it begins with C). He lives in California. Apparently the cottage is all that he owns just the area that the house was built on. The man from Kent told me that he owns all of the land round the cottage even to the extent of the bridge and stream in the front of the cottage, he stated that his boundary starts at the very walls of the cottage, a fact that I find very hard to believe. He said that Conway or whoever can't afford to renovate the cottage back to its original, state and as Roland has already intimated couldn't if he wanted to because so many stones have been taken as souveniers, he told me that it was in one of the papers that a women from Boston had had her fireplace built from stones taken from the cottage.

Our mystery man had offered to buy the cottage many times but the owner will not sale as he is hoping for investors but so far without any luck. The reason that people will not invest is that his reasons are purely motivated by self interest and not for the common good.

I think its an amazing story or coincidence that this man happened to be standing behind us and tagged along with us all day. If you believe him or think that he was just shooting a line I don't know I tell it like it is, you pays your money you takes your choice. But I won't forget London in a hurry.

Regards

Arthur

[chester7777]

Arthur,

You're correct, that is a rather bizarre story. By chance did you get the "mystery man's" name? I wonder what would stop him from builiding an identical cottage 50 feet to the right of the original one? Wouldn't that burn Conway (or whatever his name is) to a crisp?

In engaging in coversation with the folks in line, did you find out if any of them were also John Wayne fans (or maybe even fellow message board members)?

Again, thanks for sharing all of this with us :D !

Chester and the Mrs.

[itdo]

Don't forget, there's a modern house right next to the ruined cottage, so somebody must own this, and it's probably very easy to find out. If somebody's eager to check that out, it might be a possibility to just ask the tourist office in Cong or even the administration of Ashford Castle. Since there are so many fans asking directions they should know.

[arthurarnell]

Hi

The members of the Maureen O'Hara message board that I was with were fans of John Wayne in as much that he was one f Maureens favourite actors. The man from Norway is named Arild and he is a 30 year old school teacher. Apparently he teaches English and as Ireland forms part of his curriculum every year he shows The Quiet Man to his students, he also shows the The Searchers as Well and his favourite picture is Rio Grande so I woulss say that he is a staunch John Wayne fan.
Incidentally he had a photograph taken with Maureen O'Hara when she was in Ireland and he showed her this when he was sitting next to her. She turned round to the audience and said "It's alright I know his wife".

There is one man on the board who periodically runs John Wayne down, I think he does it for a response (like the looney on IMDB) but I haven't come across him yet.

I didn't get the mystery mans name, perhaps I should have but when a complete stranger tells you a story like that , it's difficult to believe.

One story he did tell me which I think i believe was of an old Timer in Cong who as a young man used to wait on tables and who as the film was completing collected on a card the autographs of every cast member including John Ford.
I believe he has been offered and turned down £20,000.

The plot thickens.


Regards


Arthur