Maureen O'Hara
Hollywood star received the Freedom of Kells in May 2012
"Homecoming" Event
The star of 'The Quiet Man' was bestowed with the freedom of the town after unveiling a bust in her honour at Bective Square, during a weekend of celebrations to mark her association with the town.
The actress, who lives in Glengarriff, Co Cork, is now in her early 90s. Her father was a native of Kells, although she was born in Dublin. She was a regular visitor to Kells to see her uncle Frank, who was a blacksmith in the town, and she still has relatives in the area.
Ms O'Hara arrived in Kells on Saturday 26th May in a cavalcade with a garda motorcycle escort, and was met by the members of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), Kells Brass Band and local schoolchildren, before unveiling the bust at Bective Square and receiving the freedom of the town from Kells Town Council.
She attended a gala evening in the Headfort Arms Hotel that night and also attended a Shamrock Rovers v Kells Blackwater soccer match at Grange at 2pm the next day, as well as an event at Headfort Golf Club. She then met with members of the Fitzsimmons family.
Photographs
A note from the cathoirleach
Event Timetable:
Wednesday 23rd May 2012
Screening of "The Quiet Man" - Kells People's Resource Centre
Friday 25th May
7:30 p.m. Open Air Concert in Farrell Street, featuring:
- Nova Static / Stormy Mondays / Little Smoke / Below the Belt / Ignition
Saturday 26th May
2:00 p.m. Irish Grand National Winner "Lion na Bearnai" did a lap of honour of the town with his trainer, Thomas Gibeny
3:00 p.m. Maureen O'Hara arrived in Kells with a garda motorcycle escort and was met by members of the Reserve Defence Force, Kells Brass Band and local school children, and will be estorted to fire station.
Maureen received the Freedom of Kells from cathaoirleach, Cllr. Brian Collins, and unveiled her statue (sculpted by Betty Newman Maguire)
Entertainment included:
Matt Leavy / Eamon Toal / Stephen O'Brien (Uilleann pipes) / Moylagh Set Dancers / Julie Byrne
8:00 p.m. sharp
Gala Dinner in the Headfort Arms Hotel.
(Tickets €35.00 obtainable from Aidan Carry - 086 251 1220)
Sunday 27th May
2:00 p.m. Shamrock Rovers v. Kells Blackwater F.C. at the Grange attended by Maureen O'Hara.
(Her father, Charles FitzSimons bought into Shamrock Rovers Football Club, a team O'Hara has supported since childhood.)
