Kells rolls out red carpet for screen icon

Remember that scene from 'The Quiet Man' when John Wayne was dragging Maureen O'Hara across the countryside and through the streets of Cong for a showdown with the in-laws? Crowds were gathering and following, while many more had got word of the excitement and were waiting for the arrival at the other end. Well, it was a bit like that in Kells on Saturday. Except it was the Kells Silver Band that was leading Maureen O'Hara through the town, and there wasn't a fist thrown at anyone. In fact, there was even a real-life Sean Thornton to present flowers to the red-haired Mary Kate Danaher. The Hollywood legend was returning to her father's hometown for the first time in over half a century, and generations of Kells folks turned out to greet the film star 60 years after John Ford's Oscar-winning movie made her world-famous. Her relatives from Meath were joined by cousins from across Europe and America, as well as her film fans, for the homecoming festival. The 92-year old, who now lives in Glengarriff, Co Cork, spent most of her life in America, where she made over 80 movies, many with John Wayne. Born in Ranelagh in Dublin, she was daughter of Charles Stuart Parnell Fitzsimons, who was a native of Bective Square in Kells, and his wife, Marguerita Lilburn from Dublin. On Saturday, Maureen Fitzsimons - as she is known in Kells - began her day visiting the graveyard at Balrath, where her Tormay grandfather and family members are laid to rest, and enjoyed a lunch with relatives, courtesy of the Mallon family. Then, in glorious sunshine, she was escorted to the town and Bective Square, in a minibus accompanied by her grandson, Conor, to unveil a bust of herself at the site of the Fitzsimons home at Bective Square, and to receive the Freedom of Kells. The piece was commissioned by the Maureen O'Hara Welcoming Committee and sponsored by Kells Town Council. To read the full story see this week's Meath Chronicle.