Cong’s answer to the multiplex: The Quiet Man Museum Cinema.
By Irish Echo Staff
Forget Transformers, Avengers, super heroes of all stripes. In the village of Cong, County Mayo this summer there is one movie showing - and one movie only.
Fans of the John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara movie, “The Quiet Man,’ are being offered the opportunity to watch the iconic John Ford film in a cottage doubling as a cinema.
“It is very surreal” says Lisa Collins, tour guide at The Quiet Man Museum.
“To watch the movie and to be literally sitting in the location where some of the scenes in the movie were filmed. It is amazing to see the movie projected on such a large screen. I must have watched the movie hundreds of times in my life, but watching it in The Quiet Man Cinema I have seen details in the movie that I have never seen before.”
Gerry and Margaret Collins, the owners of The Quiet Man Museum Cinema, put on the first showing on Saturday, May 18. And it has been showing since.
“The Quiet Man has a cult following” says Gerry Collins. “Apparently every minute of every day somewhere in the world someone is watching Cong in “The Quiet Man.” The movie is loved by people all over the world, especially those of Irish ancestry.”
“We have always been delighted to welcome film fans to Cong” says Margaret Collins “and we are very excited that they can now watch the movie up close and personal by cinema projection. It is of course a cottage cinema so seating is limited as it is an intimate venue. All we need now is the popcorn!”
Fans will also be able to watch a revealing documentary on the movie called “John Ford: Dreaming The Quiet Man,” which was produced by Se Merry Doyle and narrated by Gabriel Byrne.
It features, said a release, “heartfelt discussions with Maureen O’Hara, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich and Jim Sheridan, as well as original home-movie footage of the cast and crew during filming. The film recounts stories from people who still remember how Hollywood came to the West of Ireland and changed their lives forever.”
“The Quiet Man” will be shown every Tuesday and Saturday evening at 4.30 p.m. for the remainder of June and September, and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening at 4.30 p.m. in July and August.
“John Ford: Dreaming The Quiet Man” will be shown every Sunday evening at 4.30 p.m. in June and September, and every Wednesday and Sunday evening at 4.30 p.m. in July and August.
