Maria's tribute to Maureen at Quiet Man Festival in Mayo

A young Meath musician performed her own song, 'Quiet Man', for movie star Maureen O'Hara - who also has Meath connections - at the recent Quiet Man Festival in Cong, Co Mayo. Maria Butterly from Laytown enthralled and delighted the audience with a performance of the song, which will shortly be released and is currently on YouTube. Maria performed her song for the former Hollywood star, whose father was a Kells man, along with a host of other dignitaries, including Dana, Marissa Wayne (daughter of John Wayne) and Maureen O'Hara's family. She later took to the main stage to kick off the festival where she captivated the audience with songs from her upcoming album and unique renditions of classic favourites. She is putting the final touches to the 'Quiet Man' in Cauldron Studios where she is recording her forthcoming album with Bill Shanley. The album is due to be released in October. Maria was inspired by the original movie and wrote the song based on the characters' romantic yet fiery relationship portrayed in the film by John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Brian Downes, director of John Wayne's Birthplace Museum, will be featuring Maria's song 'Quiet Man' as a tribute to John Wayne and Ms O'Hara at next year's festivities in the US. Maria had previously performed in the past for John Wayne's 100th anniversary and the re-screening of 'The Quiet Man' at the Newport Film Festival in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Maureen O'Hara's connections with Kells were recalled in the north Meath town during National Heritage Week, with an exhibition on the achievements of the Hollywood legend and of Richard (Dick) Farrelly, the Kells man who penned the film's theme tune 'The Isle Of Innisfree' on the bus from Dublin to Kells. The exhibition was produced by Kells Social History Group who have staged several displays in previous years, through the steering committee of Avril Gillic, Jack Gillic and Kieran Dunne. Among the many admirers were Kells Town Council cathoirleach, Brian Collins, and Cllr Brian Curran, who both agreed that the display represented a fiting tribute to such outstanding individuals with Kells connections. The venue was provided by local businessman, Damien McLoughlin. Kells Social History Group has thanked all those who supported their endeavours to promote and preserve local heritage. Maureen O'Hara was born Maureen Fitzsimons and she has described her father, Charles Stewart Parnell Fitzsimons, as a decent, honest man, born to farming folk outside Kells. "It was a country farm and many hands were needed to keep it running smoothly," she wrote in her biography. "Daddy, when he was a young lad, was one of 13 sons who helped his father work the land." The actress often returned to Kells in later years to visit her uncle, Frank, a blacksmith at Farrell Street, and meet her many relations, some of whom still live in the area. The actress was born in the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh.