Original White O'Morn Cottage Photos and Pictures of Locations for The Quiet Man Film

 

Many people visit this blog to find out more about the cult film The Quiet Man. I know from browsing the net that there is very little information to be had and it is frustrating for fans. It is of course my favourite film of all time and we watched it again last night.  I have found these pics of the original cottage above showing the owner at the time holding a baby and look at the chickens pecking just outside the half door and the roses growing in the flowerbeds.

Photo courtesy of Jack Murphy.

This is White O'Morn today.....

So sad that no one saw fit to preserve this lovely cottage for future generations. It is just a pile of stones now and even they are disappearing as tourists take them for souviniers.

Next is a painting of White O'Morn Cottage by Juhn McNulty. I love this and will be framing a print of it to hang in my White O'Morn.

 

Then we have a truly beautiful cottage that is still exactly the same today. It was the location for the Playfairs, the Church of Ireland reverand and his wife.

 

 Above is the Danagher house. It also survives and is located on the estate of Ashford Castle. Just the same except in the film there was no glass porch at the front door.

..and of course this is my White O'Morn cottage. I am working to make it as close to the original as I can. The big difference is of course the thatched roof. How I would love to have one. But alas they cost a fortune and I (unlike Mary Kate) don't have one yet. I am always hopeful of course!

Below is an old photo of Pat Cohen's Bar. It was actually a shop not a bar but now it has been refurbished and recreated faithfully as the bar in the film. I can't wait to visit it and have a "glass of black beer" Guinness. I don't like Guinness, but I'll lput some raspberry in it (if it's good enough  for John Wayne, it's good enough for me) No, he did not put raspberry in it but I will.

My husband met a lovely woman at a course he was taking and it turns out that a relative of hers outfitted the Pat Cohan Bar in Cong, county Mayo just recently! A small world. I am hoping to get some more info and pics from her as he got her email address.

 Click on link below for information about the reopening of this pub. They will be showing the film daily in the bar for tourists.

It was beautifully outfitted by Gus Martin , GM Carpentry, Dublin and is a faithful recreation of the one in the film.  Gus is a fervent fan of the film too so it must have been a labour of love. they used stills of the film to make sure they got it just right. I can't wait to see the results.

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5008&Itemid=38

The tourist board are trying hard to make the owner of the derelect White O'Morn see the sense of restoring the ruin to it's former glory. That is something I would dearly love to see. The owner is an American and has so far not agreed to allow restoration to go ahead. The film brings thousands of tourists to Cong, Mayo every year and most of the buildings used are still in good to perfect condition.

Below is the Quiet Man Museum, Cong. It is in the centre of the village and is a faithful recreation with clothes and props too and a souvenier shop and a short film show upstairs. The haunting music of "Innisfree" plays all the time.

 

This is the pretty little church where Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danagher played "pattie fingers" in the holy water font.

I am planning another trip to Cong this summer and will of course be posting ooodles of photos. Watch this space!

...WHAT???? Did I hear right??? ...you've never seen it!!!??? go right now to this link from Youtube to see scenes set to lovely music...and then down to the nearest video shop to treat yourself to a great classic romantic comedy.

 

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=GcHknRxRpxQ

This is the link to the Quiet Man Fan Club http://quietmanmovieclub.com

 

Mary Kate so loved her crockery and such. She used the beautiful Willow pattern dishes and so do we. This dresser is in the living room of my cottage opposite the door just as she had it in the film. I noticed she had some white cups hanging so I must get myself some of them too.

Below: we never got to see that end of the cottage but it must have been the kitchen end as is mine. My cottage has exactly the same layout as the original (but then most of the three roomed cottages were laid out like that. I wonder if it looked anything like this. This is an original 1920's handmade dresser and it came from an old cottage in Ballinamore, Leitrim. It was taken out about 8 years ago and place in a damp shed. It was to be used in another cottage in Aughvas but the owners got a new kitchen and it was never used. When I got my cottage and needed furniture they very kindly offered it to me. The feet/legs had rotted away on the wet floor but I managed to prop it up and give it a painting and it is my pride and joy. 

PS...I have just listed some of the lace shelf edging you see on the dresser below to my website www.suchprettyoldthings.com  for £5.99 per metre including shipping. It is vintage Irish cotton lace trim, new unused. Limited quantity available.

 

 

The view from inside the half door. I never tire of looking at this view as it keeps changing. Another of the many pleasures here is to lean over the door and contemplate the scenery. Very relaxing.

Comments

[chas at the wild raspberry]

i love the mix of all the dishes...especially the pinkish creamer.
it is all so pretty.

[angie]

love your dresser,any sign of the blue and white butter dish ???

[Kay Flynn-The Wrought Iron Gate]

Oh Pam...What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing the fruits of your research with all of us who love "The Quiet Man." Your cottage is lovely and so are your dressers. Envy-Envy-Envy, and green not my best color.
Kay

[JapaneseKeane]

Hi!

Thank you!
I love English^^ and also,I like Gaelic:-)

[sharie]

What a great post. Very informative and loved all the pictures. What a shame that the old cottage isn't rebuilt and so strange that the owner won't allow rebuilding.

I love your cottage Pam with its half green door, you've decorated so in keeping with its original character and done a wonderful job. Keep posting those pictures!

[andrea ancienne boulangerie]

Great post I hope the white o morn cottage does get restored.
Your willow pattern is lovely

[kimme]

I am really enjoying your pictures from "The Quiet Man"
especially after watching the movie.
You cottage indeed reminded me of White O'Morn.
Even Patrick caught a few things himself.
He remarked on the bonnet on your fence. :)

The photo of your open green door brought back floods
of wonderful memories we had while staying at your cottage.
Such a pretty cottage :)

hugs~Kimme

[Eileen]

I absolutely love browsing your blog! WOM as it is today looks very much like the little cottage where my Da was born in Clare. Just a pile of stones now. Thanks for sharing the photos of your place as well - it's lovely. I will be interested to see more from you in days to come.

http://ruralwisconsin.blogspot.com/

[T]

What a very nice post. Your cottage is just lovely. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful pictures.

[colleen]

Ah you know I love it when you give us history, photos and a glimpse into your beautiful cottage! Have a good week-end and I must find a copy of The Quiet Man to watch again!

[Marilyn]

I love everything about The Quiet Man! I've watched the film so many times but I never tire of it. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful post. I love Mary Kate's dishes and how so very important they were to her. That's how I feel about my Desert Rose dishes from my Mother. Very special and on display!
Marilyn in NM

[Zinda]

Hi Pam,
love the photo's of Ballinamore covered in snow. aSee you soon.

Zinda.

[Elisa Michaels]

"The Quiet Man" is of course one of the most romantic, visually absorbing pictures ever made. Your updated photos are wonderful, and provide a glimpse of how it looks today versus the look provided by the movie. It is sad that the cottage itself is nothing but a pile of rock, but the Irish have done more with only rock for centuries, and I suspect the cottage will rise again...at least, I'd like to think so! Thank you for preserving the memories so lovingly. Somehow, all the pictures lack is a flash of Maureen O'Hara's wonderful red hair, and a glimpse of her smile.

[mrs]

I wish I knew who owned the cottage I'm in America.I went to Ireland for the first time last year

[Byron Preece]

We recently visited the original cottage and they have now opened a small tourist information shop in a local village hall to help people find the cottage. We were lucky enough to have visited on the same day that the Great Great Grandaughter (I think I have the number of Greats correct) of the person who owned the cottage at the time of filming. She was apparently most upset that the house had been left to become nothing but a pile of rocks. The property is allegedly owned by a Canadian who has no interest in either the film or renovating the cottage to its former glories. Surely this would be an ideal project for lottery funding.

Such a great disappointment, but still a wonderful place to visit.

[rob diskin]

ok here it is in plain english,whoever bought this cottage was a total mug to allow an historic cottage to get into this state.i was there 28th aug 2011,it took all day to find it with locals giving false info,eventually i found it and was heartbroken to see a shambled wreck with just 2 end gables left crumbling and some bungalow built later left empty and smashed just 15 feet from white o morn.how on earth did they build a new building 15 feet away from white o morn and let the cottage vanish in shambles,then to top it off the new build is empty and becomeing derelict too,the only thing left as it was in the film is the small foot bridge big johns on in film with matchmaker, the river and three stepping stones, stop this wrong and make it wright its so disheartning to see it .i consider it one of the biggest wrongs in cinematic history,come on owner make it wright and become famous for saving it not for vanishing it please concerned fan wob bob x

[john holmes]

sad situation! Just amazing how the owner now hasn't kept his promise in restoring himself!Must be a feeble man now!Maybe someday somebody will release the property!PRAY!Then it can be restored.

[June Parker Beck]

I was in Ireland in 1999 and enjoyed visiting all TQM film sites. I have designed and edited the official Maureen O'Hara website "Maureen O'Hara Magazine" since 1994.

It is interesting to note that the church that was used in the film was actually a protestant church. They just put a holy water font out front to make it "Catholic."

Also - all interiors were filmed on a Hollywood sound stage but the beautiful Emerald Isle provided the panoramic exteriors. As Maureen says, "Ireland was really the star of that film."