Laytown singer's special performance for Maureen
Local singer/songwriter Maria Butterly was the surprise guest at Maureen O'Hara's 90th birthday when she enthralled and delighted the audience with a performance of her new song, 'Quiet Man'. Originally from Laytown, Maria had been putting the final touches to the recording of 'Quiet Man' in the studio which will be released on her forthcoming album when she received a call from O'Hara's assistant and a spokespersoon for the O'Hara family. They heard about the song and were so taken by it and the story behind it they invited Maria to Cork to perform the song for the former Hollywood actress in person as a surprise for her 90th birthday celebration. Maria said: "I wrote this song, which was inspired by the original movie and the character's relationship portrayed by John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, for the 100th anniversary of John Wayne and the re-screening of 'The Quiet Man' in Los Angeles at the Newport Film Festival in 2007." She explained that she had hoped both Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne's extended family would get to hear the song together but, unfortuntately, O'Hara was unable to attend at the time. "I visited the original site in Cong, where the movie was made, to capture the landscape of what the movie depicted and put it into song," she said. Once word started to circulate that she was going to perform for Maureen O'Hara, Maria received another call from businessman Raymond Scullion in Homeflair Gift Shop in Drogheda, who asked if she would be interested in wearing a collectable piece of jewellery from Newbridge which was the 'Maureen O'Hara signature ring' that she wore in the classic movie 'Miracle On 34th Street'. Maria is wearing the signature ring in the photo with Maureen O'Hara as well as a beautiful necklace from the Newbridge Hollywood Collection. "After the meal, the presentations began and the MC gave me a lovely introduction explaining to Maureen that they had a special treat for her, that a girl had come from LA to Ireland and had written a song for her and was there to perform it that night and out I popped. Maureen never took her eyes off me while I sang it. The magic moment for me, was performing that song, looking straight into the eyes of the person you are singing about," recalled Maria. Maria received rapturous applause from Maureen and her guests and said it was "truly an honour to have been requested to perform for a true Hollywood star", and that it was an experience she will never forget. But the attention Maria's song is receiving has not stopped there, with interest from the director of John Wayne's Birthplace Museum and also Wayne's daughter, Aissa, has contacted Maria upon hearing her song. Maria is in the final mixing stages of her new album, which is being produced by the legendary Bill Shanley who has worked with many artists such as Ray Davies, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Mary Black, Paul Brady and Sinead O'Connor. A sample of the recording of the 'Quiet Man' along with some footage of Maria's night with Maureen O'Hara can be seen on www.youtube.com/mariabutterly