19 The Quiet Man Filming Locations in Ireland: FULL List + Map!
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Director John Ford and actor John Wayne are best known for their collaborations in cowboy films.
But this muted movie remains an undisputed classic and essential viewing for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the world. Even 70 years after its release!
Why? Well, not only is it a great film, but The Quiet Man filming locations in Ireland are well worth visiting.
John Ford, himself a child of Irish immigrants from Galway, fell in love with the 1933 short story, ‘The Quiet Man’, by Irish novelist Maurice Wals.
Adapting the story was a passion project not without trials. Before Republic Pictures offered financial backing for the movie, Ford had to release a successful western with his proposed stars, John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
Luckily, that western movie was Rio Grande (1950). Republic Pictures shouldn’t have been so worried, because The Quiet Man became Ford’s highest-grossing movie to date.
It’s also, I believe, the only John Wayne movie set in Ireland.
The Duke plays the titular character, Sean Thornton. After a tragedy in the boxing ring, Sean moves back to his home town of Inishfree in Ireland for a peaceful life.
He meets the freckled, flame-haired beauty Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara, who is actually Irish). Unfortunately, a dispute with her brother makes their nuptials less than straightforward.
I absolutely LOVE The Quiet Man and think it’s one of the best John Wayne films that still holds up today.
Since I lived in Northern Ireland from September 2023 – August 2024, it wasn’t difficult for me to visit every single The Quiet Man film location in May 2024.
My parents hopped on the ferry from England and were nice enough to drive me around.
While Ford filmed some scenes (mostly interior) at the Republic Studios in LA, most of The Quiet Man Ireland locations are legit. It’s absolutely one of the reasons this movie is still so popular!
Most locations are in and around the village of Cong in County Mayo, on the edge of County Galway. Although this is not where novelist Maurice Wals set the story, there’s a good reason why Ford chose to film the movie here.
But that would be revealing too much, too soon!
I recommend reading this guide while watching the film so you can compare The Quiet Man filming locations then and now. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that while the town of ‘Inisfree’ is fictional, the history of the film lives on.
⬇️ Scroll to the end for The Quiet Man filming locations map 🗺️⬇️
All The Quiet Man Ireland Filming Locations
1. Ballyglunin Train Station
- Address: Station Road, Coolfowerbeg, Ballyglunin, Co. Galway, H54 D863
- Co-ordinates: 53.43103, -8.79358
The very first The Quiet Man filming location is a corker.
Sean pulls up in a steam train at Castletown, which is a fictional town. In reality, the train station is Ballyglunin Railway Station.
The station is tiny and no longer in use. However, it is such a popular tourist attraction that the station is preserved for fans! The green ‘Castletown’ sign is still on the platform wall. Plus, there’s a film trail marker and lots of information about the filming on signs.
There’s a very small car park outside the train station gate.
2. The Quiet Man Bridge
- Address: Leam East, Co. Galway
- Co-ordinates: 53.42691, -9.4228
The industrious character Michaeleen Flynn (celebrated Irish actor Barry Fitzgerald) gives Sean a ride to Inisfree in his horse and carriage.
Aside from Fitzgerald, John Ford hired a lot of local Irish folk to round out the cast and crew.
En route, Sean and Michaeleen pause on a bridge overlooking Sean’s fictional birthplace.
This charming, iconic stone bridge is still there! It’s also pinned on Google Maps as ‘Quiet Man Bridge’ so its easy to find.
It’s a short drive from Cong and you’ll be able to catch a couple more locations on the way …
➡️Fun fact: There is a real Isle of Inisfree in County Sligo, but that isn’t where The Quiet Man was filmed or set.
3. Ashford Castle Estate
- Address: Ashford Castle Dr, Ashford Or Cappacorcoge, Cong, Co. Mayo
- Co-ordinates: 53.53459, -9.28486
Ashford Castle, and it’s owner at the time Noel Huggard, is the reason why John Ford filmed The Quiet Man in Cong.
Huggard bought the medieval castle in 1939 and transformed it into a luxury hotel. It provided ample room to house the many cast and crew members which was difficult to find near a rural town elsewhere in Ireland.
Today, you’d be lucky to book a room in the stunning 13th-century Ashford Castle Hotel for less than €1,000 per night.
It is also where Ford set many of The Quiet Man film locations. Although, the main castle building only appeared in the opening credits, of course.
Ford was trying to paint an idyllic picture of Irish countryside and the working class, not the lavish and wealthy.
One of the first Ashford Castle locations is now the third fairway of the golf course.
As Michaeleen Flynn chats with Father Lonergan, Sean spots a beautiful ginger lady herding sheep in a field. And who can blame him, eh? It is, of course, Maureen O’Hara as Mary Kate Danaher.
The second location is the Ashford Castle Bridge.
When Sean and Mary Kate start courting, Michaeleen drives them across the Ashford Castle Bridge and drops them off near Father Lonergan’s salmon fishing spot, which I’ve also pinned on the map at the end of this post.
Their tandem bike ride is probably through some of the castle grounds, too. I strongly recommend booking The Quiet Man Walking Tour during your visit. I’ll talk about the tour more later on, but it’s a must-do in my opinion.
4. Pat Cohan’s Gastro Pub in Cong
- Address: Main St, Cong North, Cong, Co. Mayo, F31 XR57
- Co-ordinates: 53.54087, -9.28607
The Quiet Man locations get better and better. Having just arrived in Inisfree, Michaeleen takes Sean to the local pub for a cold one.
It is Pat Cohan Bar which is still there today! From the outside, it looks no different.
There’s a very good reason for this.
At the time of filming, the bar was actually a greengrocers. The Quiet Man‘s production team put the ‘Pat Cohan Bar’ sign on the front for filming and the shop didn’t take it down as it attracted tourists.
In 2008, Pat Cohan Bar finally opened as a bar with the interior resembling how it did in the film. In reality, Ford filmed the bar’s interiors at Republic Studios.
5. Cong Market Cross
- Address: Main St, Cong North, Cong, Co. Mayo
- Co-ordinates: 53.54084, -9.28598
Although the Cong Market Cross is directly outside Pat Cohan Bar, I wanted to list it as a separate location.
Characters congregate next to the Market Cross at least five times throughout the movie. Notably, during the fight scene between Sean and Squire Danaher later in the film.
I think the cross dates from either the 13th or 14th century, but it could be even older.
📖 Read next: 18 Great Movies Set in Ireland To Watch Before Your Trip
6. St Mary’s Church of Ireland in Cong
- Address: Strandhill, Co. Mayo, Ireland
- Co-ordinates: 53.53886, -9.28485
Sean attends Father Lonergan’s 7 o’clock mass as the priest promised to pay respects to Sean’s deceased mother.
The exterior of the Catholic church is actually the local 19th-century Church of Ireland called St Mary’s. It’s nestled in lush woodland and is in good condition.
Which the Catholic church definitely wasn’t!
Sean approaches Mary Kate by the font and brazenly plays ‘patty-fingers’ with her in the holy water. She peers at him from behind the green gate.
7. St Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church in Cong (in ruins)
- Address: Cong South, Co. Mayo, Ireland
- Co-ordinates: 53.53992, -9.28678
While the exterior of the Catholic church wasn’t accurate, the interior was in fact the true St Mary’s of the Rosary Catholic Church.
Yes, they are both named after St Mary! And they’re just a short walk apart!
Harry Clarke’s stunning 20th century stained glass window dominates this scene. Unfortunately, the church was in a state during filming and only ruins remain.
Fortunately, the stained glass window now lives inside the new 1970s-era church building. It’s on the grounds of the old church and abbey.
I took awful photos of the stained glass window (I just couldn’t get my camera to work!) so you’ll have to put up with this blurry picture.
8. Strandhill House (demolished)
- Address: Strandhill House, Strandhill, Cong, Co. Mayo, Ireland
- Co-ordinates: 53.53543, -9.28219
Determined to buy back his childhood home, Sean pays a visit to the lady who now owns the house. Widow Tillane is rich and lives in a beautiful white cottage with grand emerald green interior furnishings.
The inside is so obviously a studio set because it is way too lavish for rural Ireland in the 1920s, even if the owners did have the cash to spare. And the ceilings look 12ft high! It’s supposed to be a COTTAGE.
Widow Tillane’s cottage exterior was Strandhill House opposite Ashford Castle overlooking the river.
Unfortunately, the house was demolished in the 1970s. The pin on the Google Map at the bottom of this post will take you to the car park that sits in its place. However, there’s a lovely garden and tea room in a thatched cottage on the same site.
9. The Quiet Man Cottage/White O’Morn
- Address: R336, Teernakill South, Co. Galway
- Co-ordinates: 53.50732, -9.56561
Michaeleen escorts Sean to his new/old home, White O’Morn Cottage. It’s such a charming abode with its thatched roof, flower beds and cosy fireplace. It appears so many times throughout the film.
Unfortunately, The Quiet Man cottage location did not stand the test of time like so many of the other filming locations.
White O’Morn (or The Quiet Man house) is in a farm a short drive from Cong (en route to the bridge). There’s not really anywhere to park; my parents stayed in the car as I got out to take photos!
I could see some of the rubble peeping out between the trees. I’m told the concrete bridge the men walk over is still there too.
In hindsight, no one was around (not even a bull). I now believe I would have been allowed to walk through the farm (but don’t quote me on that) as long as I shut all gates and kept my distance from livestock.
However, I just didn’t feel confident in walking across someone’s property at the time.
10. Squire Danaher’s House
- Address: Ashford Or Cappacorcoge, Co. Galway, Ireland
- Co-ordinates: 53.53312, -9.29303
Bless every single soul who submitted one of The Quiet Man filming locations to Google Maps. You made my job so easy.
After Sean spontaneously kisses Mary Kate in his cottage, he sends Michaeleen to stand outside of the Danaher House to announce his intentions to start courting Mary Kate.
The house is located in the Ashford Castle Estate. However, you won’t be able to drive or walk through the estate without a reservation.
We drove along Croaghrim and Deerpark and my dad parked by the Ashford Old Schoolhouse. It looked like quite a private/residencial area and I wasn’t sure what the parking situation would be like by the house.
I needn’t have worried. There’s lots of open space outside Squire Danaher’s house for us to have parked for a couple of minutes.
There is even a plaque that ‘Quiet Man House 1951’ on the front and ‘Squire Danaher’s House’ on the window.
11. Lettergesh Beach
- Address: Lettergesh Beach, Lettergesh East, Co. Galway
- Co-ordinates: 53.60568, -9.90772
Sean enters the Inisfree Cup horse race for some reason? Because Sean and Michaeleen want to trick Will ‘Squire’ Danaher into allowing Sean and Mary Kate’s marriage??
Anyway, Ford filmed parts of this scene in a studio, and other parts on Lettergesh Beach.
This beach is located just outside Connemara National Park. It has a rocky and rugged beauty, just like all the best beaches in Galway.
I visited Connemara in March 2023 on a separate road trip. There’s a sizeable car park next to the beach.
12. Friary of Ross
- Address: FVH9+M8, Ross, Moyne Bridge, Co. Galway
- Co-ordinates: 53.47961, -9.13158
As the local matchmaker, Micheleen is Sean and Mary Kate’s escore when they start courting. He sorces them to sit on either side of his cart as they drive into the countryside.
Along the way, he points out ‘the home of the ancient Flynns’, ie his ancestral home.
In reality, it is the oldest Catholic monastery in Ireland! Friary of Ross dates back to the 1300s and it’s a short drive from Cong.
You can park outside the monestary ruins and it’s free to explore.
13. Reverend Playfair’s House in Cong
- Address: Ashford Lodge, Abbey St, Cong South, Cong, Co. Mayo,
- Co-ordinates: 53.53988, -9.28633
Sean and Mary Kate manage to give Michaeleen the slip by hopping on Reverend Playfair and his wife’s tandem bike.
Their cottage is located between the two St Mary’s churches. It’s another gorgeous cottage that is fantastic condition 70 years later.
📖 Read next: The Banshees of Inisherin Filming Location Guide
14. Thoor Ballylee Yeats Tower
- Address: Ballylee, Gort, Co. Galway, H91 D8F2
- Co-ordinates: 53.10315, -8.77499
On their tandem bike ride, the loved up pair pause to admire the scenery.
Mary Kate throws caution to the wind as she strips of her stockings and runs across the creek. What a wild, out of control, hot-headed redhead she is!
She paddles in a creek in front of Thoor Ballylee Yeats Tower. It’s a 1400s castle once owned by the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats.
Partially restored in the 1960s, it is now a Yeats museum and resembles how it might have looked when the poet lived there from 1921 to 1929.
There’s a free car park on site and you can pay a small entrance fee to visit the Yeats Museum from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM.
15. Emily O’Connor’s Tea Room in Cong
- Address: Puddleducks Café, Main St, Cong North, Cong, Co. Mayo,
- Co-ordinates: 53.54212, -9.28689
Sean and Mary Kate tie the knot. He surprises his wife with a new horse and cart before taking a trip to nearby Castletown.
When they arrive, they stop in front of a tea room called Emily O’Connor’s which is actually a café called Puddleducks Café.
We ate lunch here during our time in Cong (definitely recommend!).
16. Fennel Seed Restaurant, Ryan’s Hotel in Cong
- Address: Ryans Hotel, Main St, Cong North, Cong, Co. Mayo
- Co-ordinates: 53.54132, -9.28639
Mary Kate looks across the road and spies her brother in Castletown drinking with farmhands outside a pub called P. Curran Pub. This pub was also located on Main Street but is slightly further down the road.
So, in reality, Mary Kate wouldn’t have been able to see him from across the road. A little bit of cinema trickery! It is now the Fennel Seed Restaurant and is part of Ryan’s Hotel.
17. Dying Man’s House in Cong
- Address: Riverview, The Derries, Co. Mayo
- Co-ordinates: 53.54135, -9.28705
To teach her a lesson for threatening to leave, Sean (literally) drags Mary Kate from Castletown Railway Station to her brother’s house.
He has an ultimatum. Either Will Danaher gives him the dowry, or he can have his sister back.
The two men resort to fisticuffs. This is, naturally, the most entertainment the town of Inisfree has had in years.
A dying man, called Dan Tobin, is roused from his deathbed in a wee house on Riverview in Cong to watch the fight.
In the 1950s, the house was green and white but today it’s red and white. Don’t worry about finding the right one; there is a ‘Dying Man House’ sign outside so you can’t miss it!
BONUS The Quiet Man Locations
18. The Quiet Man Statue
- Address: 1, 3 Richmond St N, Cong South
- Co-ordinates: 53.5405, -9.28664
This isn’t one of The Quiet Man filming locations, but no fan can miss this statue. It depicts John Wayne as Sean holding Maureen O’Hara as Mary Kate.
It’s just a fun photo opportunity in the middle of town. You don’t have to head out of your way to see it.
19. The Quiet Man Replica Cottage
- Address: Peacockes, Lurgan Or Shindilla, Maam Cross, Co. Galway, H91 P798
- Co-ordinates: 53.456, -9.539
And if you are really keen, you can visit The Quiet Man Replica Cottage. It’s super close to the rubble of the real White O’Morn cottage.
I imagine someone decided it would be a good business to create a replica after one too many disappointed fans visited the real one.
It is on the grounds of the Peacockes Hotel. Unfortunately, both the hotel and the cottage are temporarily closed. You can just see the cottage from the outside.
The Quiet Man Museum & Tours
If you are making the pilgrimage to The Quiet Man Ireland locations, be sure to hit up The Quiet Man Museum & Giftshop in Cong. It’s usually open from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The museum is a replica of the White O’Morn Cottage complete with a thatched roof and emerald green door. Inside, there are tonnes of movie posters, costumes, props, and insider information.
I bought lots of postcards, a Christmas ornament, and an official scarf from the giftshop.
I whole-heatedly recommend booking one of their daily The Quiet Man Walking Tours. These run seasonally from April to September.
While the walking tours are one hour, they include entrance to the museum at the end.
Seriously, I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this tour. The guide was personable, funny, and had an endless supply of insider, local knowledge and stories from the shoot.
It really hit home how transformative The Quiet Man was for the locals in Cong. Even 70 years later, Cong is still reeping the benefits from this movie.
That’s the power of cinema.
The Quiet Man Location Map
That’s a Wrap!
So, where was The Quiet Man filmed in Ireland? It took a whole weekend, but I managed to visit every location so I could bring you this comprehensive guide!
Please comment below if you have new information about any The Quiet Man filming locations.
Looking for a filming location, but it’s not featured on this site? Want to connect with like-minded filming location hunters and nerds?
Join the Filming Locations Fan Club Facebook Group!
Or, stay on the site and read one of my related guides:
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- The Banshees of Inisherin Filming Locations in Ireland
- Braveheart Filming Locations in Scotland and Ireland
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- 18 Films Filmed in Ireland To Inspire You To Visit
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FAQs
Where was the pub in The Quiet Man Filmed?
The pub in The Quiet Man was filmed at a greengrocer’s on Main Street in Cong, Ireland. In 2008, the pub opened as Pat Cohan’s Bar which was the name of the pub in the movie.
Where is The Quiet Man Cottage Located?
The cottage from the 1952 movie The Quiet Man was located off the R336, in Teernakill South, County Galway, Ireland. It’s co-ordinates are 53.50732, -9.56561. Today, the cottage is in ruins.
How Old was John Wayne in The Quiet Man?
John Wayne was 45 years old when The Quiet Man was first released in September 1952. His character, Sean Thornton, is supposed to be 35 years old.
Thanks for the article. In April 2026 my girlfriend and I are flying into Shannon and spending a day @ Bunratty then driving to Athenry to stay for 8 days. While in Athenry we are planning to drive to Cong for a day to see the Quiet Man sites and also plan on spending a day in Roundstone to see the town where The Matchmaker was filmed.
Sounds like an amazing trip Tony, I hope you have a great time! 😀
Thank you for your article My husband and I try to go to Cong every year and we stay at Ryan’s Hotel A great place to stay We travel to all the places you mention The Quiet Man is my husbands absolutely favorite movie We leave for Cong on the 14th October
Ahhh fantastic! Have a great return trip! 😀
Hi Rebecca,
My husband and I will visit Cong soon. Unfortunately, The Quiet Man Museum will be closed when we visit. Your information is invaluable in helping us plan a Quiet Man walking and driving tour, our reason for visiting this part of Ireland. Greatly appreciate your sharing of this information.
Hi Terri, thank you so much for your comment! I have absolutely no doubt you will still have a fantastic time, as you’ll get the benefit of fewer crowds (and let’s face it, it can and does rain at any time of year over here) and I’m sure you won’t feel like you missed out! 😀
I have visited ll the quit man locations as im huge fan of the movie,must have watched 10 time or more.I agree with you could nt really see what the horse racing on the strand benifited the movie in any way. and not a great fan of the scene of John Wayne dragging Maureen O Hara across the fields.But overall brillant movie some great scenery, lovely music some lovely funny scenes,and of course some great performances from Maureen OHara John Wayne Barry Fitzgerald, Victor Mclaglen Jack McGowan Arthur Shields and Ward Bond.Also when Maureen O Hara visited New Ross Co. Wexford some years ago i got to exchange a few words with her which made my day. Thank you for your lovely presentation of and lovely describtions of the locations
Thanks for your comment, Tony! Fantastic you got to meet Maureen O’Hara. All things considered, it’s definitely stood the test of time and is still a great movie. It’s amazing that people still visit the locations today!
I’m here in Cong right now with my family !
We have just had an amazing lunch in Pat Mohans !
Thanks for this guide, I saw ” the dying man’s cottage” and thought it must be significant, now I know why ! I saw the movie about 40 years ago but will definitely watch it again. Cong and surrounding areas are just stunning. The Sky road in Connemara is so dramatic and rugged. It’s easy to see why they chose this area to film in.
Highly recommend a holiday here. Go through the church for fabulous walks in the woods right from the centre of Cong.
Thanks so much for your comment, Gary! Glad you had a great time in Cong! 😀
“The name is Cohans”. We were just in there two weeks ago. I had a glass of “the black beer” behind the bar.
Thank you so much for this! The Quiet Man is one of my favorite films – along with The Ghost and Mrs Muir – old films are the best! We are going on our “bucket list” trip in October 2023 and will get to see the locations for myself. Your map will be so helpful on our drive!
Aw I’m so glad you found my guide useful, Linda – I hope you have the best time in Ireland!!
Hi Rebecca,
We were in Cong in July of 2016 and plan to go back in August of 2023. We want to see more of the film’s locations. Can you recommend a map or book that will help us find these?
Thank you.
Hi David! Do you mean apart from this blog post which lists all of the filming locations and has a map at the beginning? 😀 However, there is a walking tour of The Quiet Man locations which you can find out more about here – https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/cong-ireland-l164169/ireland-the-quiet-man-museum-and-film-location-guided-tour-t414467/
Maybe the tour guide will help give you directions to some of the other locations too?
Hello, Amazing to see a 70 years old film is still such appreciated woldwide. I will follow the locations you recommend during my next trip. Many thanks for this job done and shared. Best regards and wishes from a French fan.
Thanks so much for your comment! It is absolutely incredible, isn’t it?! I hope you have a fantastic time when you visit! All the best, Rebecca
I am going back to Ireland in Sept 2022 and planned on touring these locations. So I googled looking for info, and found your site.. perfect. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your comment, John! I’m really glad I could help and I hope you have an amazing trip! 😀
Rebecca, Thanks for the great job posting this great information about one of the best films to come out of Hollywood. I’ve always wondered how this film was received in Ireland since so much of it was shot locally and used many Irish people in the movie. I look forward to coming over to visit this beautiful country and spending time with her great people!
Thanks so much for your comment, Trevor! It’s a great film and it’s amazing that so many of the locations still exist today. I hope you get to see them someday! 😀
Hi there from Castlepollard, Westmeath Ireland.
Love the movie.
I’ve ran through Maam during the Connemara marathon.
Connemarathon!!!
Held in April….
Just curious about one thing.
Where was the inside the pub scenes filmed?
Hi Joe! Thanks for your comment, I believe that most of the interior scenes were shot in studios but I’m sure some might’ve been filmed in the venues themselves. The trouble is that while the exteriors of some of these locations probably haven’t changed, most of them will look totally different!
I was sitting in the Kylemore Pass hotel in the Connemara when I read your blog. I have been a fan of the Quiet Man since I was a kid and I knew it was filmed in this area. I knew our time was very tight but I got my friends talked into driving to the Quiet Man bridge.i got several pictures and even helped another gentlemen with his pics. I owe this to you and thank you.
Thanks so much for your comment, Tom! I’m SO pleased you managed to visit one of the iconic locations from the film! And one of my absolute favourite things is helping other people take their travel photos, fills me with all the warm fuzzies 😀
Hello! We are just back from a 2-week-long trip to Ireland and we stopped in Cong. The ‘Green and White House’ – ‘The dying man house’ now has two signs on it, reading ‘Dying Man House.’ I can send you my photo.
Upon our return to Ohio we had to watch “The Quiet Man,” a film my wife never seen.
Thanks so much for your comment, Rob! I absolutely LOVE that there’s a sign on The Dying Man’s house, that’s such a cool idea and I love it when filming locations do this! 😀
Hi. I was brought up loving John Wayne. When I was 18 I worked night shifts, And if a John Wayne Movie was on TV I never went into work. My Mum would say you have seen this 99 times, I replyed well be 100 tonight. Night after when I went into work the foreman would ask me where was I last Night. I said wasn’t feeling well. He Turned to me and said, You mean John Wayne was on TV Last night lol. In 2019 I went to stay in Cong and look for all the Locations, Was so much fun when we found them and emotional and said to my Partner I have done it with a tear in my eyes.. 2022 boked to go back and Can’t wait.. I’m 71 now and still a Mad fan of John Wayne.
Wow, Thomas… You sure do love John Wayne haha! I’m glad you loved the filming locations so much that you wanted to see them twice! 😀
Thanks for this. The Quiet Man is my favorite movie and I love reading about it and the locations at which it was filmed. One thing though, in the movie – Sarah Tillane lived in a very large house. It was multiple stories and quite grand. It could easily have had high ceilings. It was clearly not a cottage. After all, she was the wealthiest woman in Innisfree.
Hi Dan! Thank you so much for your comment, The Quiet Man locations are amazing because so many still exist after so long!
Your comment about Sarah Tillane’s house got me curious because I really couldn’t remember what the exterior looked like. But in my comment, I’m clearly very adamant it was a cottage haha. So, I went back and re-watched this part of the film to see it for myself. We can see the exterior and, to me, it’s a two-story cottage! It has very, very low ceilings (from what you can tell by the distance of the windows) and a literal thatched roof. Yes, it’s a big cottage, but I have to disagree with you because to me, it’s still a cottage. You can go back and see the cottage for yourself, the exterior is visible around 15 minutes into the film 😀
No worries, we obviously have two different definitions of “cottage”. The fact that it is two stories kind of suggests that it isn’t a cottage (in my dictionary). Regardless, my point was, since it is two stories part of it could easily have vaulted ceilings and not have a second floor above it.
I think we do! If I do a Google image search for “cottage” you’ll find lots of two-story cottages but it was more the heavily thatched roof that made me call it that in the first place. And my point was that it’s laughably obvious that the interior rooms are not situated in this humble home. It’s one of the things I love about older movies and it makes me smile every time that huge office/drawing room appears on screen 😀
Hi Rebecca, I was wandering around other The Quiet Man sites and found this and thought to myself “Ooo, I need to share this with Almost Ginger!” When watching the movie, I never thought that the first house – obviously a thatched cottage – that the widow passes was the one in front of which she gets out of the carriage. The front walk is different as is the front door and the architecture of the front of her house. Also, her bike is not present at the first house, but it is at the front door when she gets home.
Then I found this website from another fan which has a photo of the actual Widow Tillane’s house before it was torn down. It is definitely the one she gets out of the carriage in front of. The architecture is an exact match. From the looks of it, it could have large rooms in it, like the one shown in the movie. I am interested to hear what you think.
http://johnwayne.byethost3.com/Danagher/tillane.htm
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the follow-up comment, I’ve never had so many comments from one person about one location! The Widow Tillane’s cottage interiors were 100% shot in a studio, I don’t know what else to tell you. The windows seen on the exterior and the windows as seen in the interior are totally different sizes and shapes and there appears to be many, many more windows from the interior shots than there is from the exterior. Hope that helps, happy watching! 😀
Thanks for a wonderful well written synopsis of the filming locations. I own the film on Laser Disc and saw it at the local theater last night for a special St Patrick Day showing. I had never seen it on the big screen. What a treat.
Map in hand, now its time to book a flight to Ireland.
Ahh thank you so much for your kind words, Greg! That sounds like a great experience, it’s a brilliant film and most of the locations are virtually unchanged all these years later so I hope you can visit them! 😀
“The Quiet Man” has always been one of my favorite John Wayne movies and we’ll be traveling to Ireland from California, USA, next month. We’ll be stopping in Cong on our driving tour just to see “The Quiet Man” filming locations. Thanks for writing this up, we’ll use it as our guide.
Thanks so much for your comment, Frank! I’m so happy you liked my guide and I hope you have the best time in Ireland! 😀
I saw this film when I was a young boy with my
Grandmother, and have watched it many times
since then. I am now 82 years old in July and have
to admit it is still on my to do list to visit. I hope I
live long enough to manage it😄. Exce write up
thank you.
Thank you for sharing that, Alan! 😀 I hope you do get to see the locations soon, one of the great things about The Quiet Man locations is that so many of them haven’t changed much.
The Quiet Man was my mom’s favorite movie. She was a John Wayne fan, but this was her favorite. I have ancestors who lived in Galway County, in Kerry County, actually all up the west coast of Ireland in all the places in this film (and some in Leap Year–saw your pictures from that one, too). English, Irish, French and German. You did a nice job.
Thanks so much for your comment, Lynn! That’s amazing – yes there are quite a few films set in Ireland that make the most of the beautiful countryside 😀
Thank you Rebecca for such a comprehensive shooting location post! We just finished (re) watching The Quiet Man and I was curious to see if when we were in the Ashford/Cong area a number of years ago if we saw many of the sites (knew of the movie but had not seen it yet). Scrolling through photos from our trip while we were watching the film we did see the main house in Cong (now red, white painted trim with an enclosed front entry way added).
I’m a movie location “nerd” and you’re taking that to the next level – so cool! I’m always wondering where things were shot, and look them up. Sometimes I’ve been to them (esp in the US) – and always kind of disappointed when they are shot in a different location…i.e. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape was shot in Texas but is supposed to take place in my home state of Iowa…..errr ) :
Anyway – Thanks and keep up the great work and search out those locations!
Thanks so much for your comment, Greg! Ahh that’s a fantastic coincidence, it’s incredible for a film so old that so many of the locations are still intact. It is disappointing when a completely different place stands in for another place. For me, it’s Ireland standing in for Scotland when Braveheart is such a Scottish story! But it needs to happen sometimes I suppose. Thank you – let me know if you have any requests for future location guides! 😀
Enjoyed your blog! Went to Cong, but had never seen the movie and was surprised to see our beloved John Wayne all over. Learned a bit about it, but wasn’t until I got back home that I watched the movie on AmazonPrime. Googled filming locations and found your fun site. Thanks for your work. =) Kim South Florida, USA
Thanks so much for your comment, Kim! It’s amazing how many of the filming locations still exist and it’s a great film 😀
thouroughly enjoyed read and hope to get to area one of these years soon
Thank you so much! I hope you get to see the locations soon, too!
Thank you so much again for the wonderful pictures!!!!! The quiet man is just one of the best movies of all times!!!!!!
Hi Linda, thanks so much for your comment! It’s a great film and we’re lucky so many of the filming locations are still there 😀
Thank you Rebecca, for the fantastic article, pictures AND map of the locations from the movie ” The Quiet Man ” I have been to Ireland twice and it is on my bucket list to go again The people of Ireland are so friendly and welcoming, if I could, I would go there to live The countryside is so beautiful, though I have not had the pleasure of seeing it when the heather is in bloom The idea of renting a car and traveling to these sites is so very spot on Although, I would probably hire a driver to avoid driving on the wrong side of the road since I am from Maryland, USA Thanks again for the wonderful article and memories it provoked ( please forgive the lack of periods, computer key is broken )
Thanks so much for your comment Mary, I’m pleased you liked my blog post! 🙂 I agree, the countryside and the people in Ireland are fantastic! I’d love to return again soon!
I was always told that the Court Room scene was filmed in Dermot O’Connors in Ballinrobe. My dad recognises some of the crowd in the scene. And my mum made the wedding dress worn by Maureen O’Hara although she was never paid!!
Hey Kevin! Thanks so much for sharing – those are awesome tidbits about the film, that’s so interesting! Though you’ll have to help me out here, whereabouts is the courtroom scene in The Quiet Man? I don’t remember there being one but I know I could be wrong because I haven’t watched the film that many times.
Do you know, Rebecca, I have no idea why I wrote that! The scene was clearly in my head!! There is a 1971 film called The Flight of the Doves which WAS filmed in Ballinrobe so perhaps that’s where I got the notion from.
Ahhh I do that all the time! 😀
In response to Derek she controlled him. I’m a woman I know😁😁😁
Ehhh, I’m a woman… and a man literally dragging his partner through fields to teach her lesson makes me a little uncomfortable. But you have to consider the time they were made when you watch films, it’s still a wonderful movie in my opinion! 🙂
Every film that was done with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara are perfect!
This is awesome! I’m watching the Quiet Man right now for the 50th time.!! A little exaggerated 😁. It is such a wonderful film!!! Thanks for the tour! It was awesome!
Haha it is an awesome film and whether or not it’s 50 I’m sure you’re well ahead of my viewing tally! Glad you enjoyed the post 😀
Hi Rebecca, I was a guide with The Quiet Man Museum in Cong. The photo you have of St. Mary’s RC Church is actually St. James’s Church. St. Mary’s was across the road beside the abbey. It was knocked down and a more modern church built on the site.
Thanks so much for your comment and for letting me know! I found this photo by searching for the church’s name in Flickr and this photo came up so I just assumed it was the right one. My bad!
This is a really great article. The Quiet Man is one of my all time favorites.
I agree with you that the trip from the Railroad Station to town could have been a little less degrading to Mary Kate but the mindset of “controlling” a woman was and is a very real thing.
Thank you so much for this Blog.
Hi Derek, thanks a lot for your comment! You’re right, The Quiet Man is a brilliant film 🙂 Ahh not 100% sure what you mean but of course you’ve got to look at the films of yesteryear within the timeframe and point of views they were made in. I hope no one would treat any woman, “controlling” or not, like that on film or in real life today 🙂