Do you remember the old John Wayne/Maureen O’Hara movie “The Quiet Man”? Well, we went to see the little town where it was filmed. When our son heard our plan he was dismayed. “Oh gosh, Mom, are you sure you want to do that? It’s so touristy”. Well, we went anyway and it was delightful! The movie was made in a town called "Cong", which is on the border between County Mayo and County Galway.
Remember the bridge that is featured in the movie? It is actually a few miles out of the town where the movie was filmed, but is worth the detour to see. 
The drive through the County Mayo and County Galway countrysides was so peaceful and beautiful. It was nice to get away from the hustle and noise of Dublin. We didn’t just look at the movie location, we also saw Ashford Castle, which has been turned into a 5 star resort, and spent a couple of hours in the city of Galway, a couple of hours away.
I totally embraced the touristy stuff for a day!
13 Responses
How fun! My first trip to Rome I asked our guide to take us to the Mouth of Truth carving from the Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday”. Our guide rolled her eyes and said, “you know that’s really just an old sewer cover”. We went anyway, it was a fun stop and we weren’t the only tourists seeing it. You’re on vacation, some fun is in order. I am amazed how the landscape has not changed since “The Quiet Man” was filmed, it’s like stepping back in time, absolutely beautiful.
So great! I didn’t see the bridge when I was in Ireland but it’s on my list for next time (although I don’t know when this will be). But it looks like it’s a bit cold in Ireland right now? Here in Germany wwe have 28° (83 Fahrenheit) today and it’s sunny.
Nice!!
Oh, that is one of my favorite old movies and am delighted the site is still so beautiful.
Enjoy it all!
Hugs!
You ARE tourists! So doing ‘touristy’ things is ok! The countryside looks beautiful!
Love that movie! Some day I will make it to Ireland………
Looks like you are really enjoying your trip! Safe travels!
Mary
lovely!
My sister and brother in law were at the exact spots yesterday as they are on a Tauck tour of Ireland. They spent last night at the Ashford Castle, where John Wayne stayed when making the movie. Small world! Enjoy every minute!
Glad you didn’t listen to your son! I’d have had to do the “touristy” thing too….love that movie.
I say, do all the touristy stuff! And then all the local stuff! You only get 1 chance sometimes.
We attended a wedding at Ashford Castle a few years ago and stayed at the lodge next door. I loved Cong, the people were delightful and the brown bread and butter in Ireland is the best I’ve ever had. Keep having fun.
Love the area of Ireland you are now enjoying. We had the pleasure of staying in one of the Ashford Castle turrets on one of our trips. We also spent time in Galway and the surrounding area. Everything is so beautiful and green. Looking forward to more photos of your travels.