“It’s a mirage brought on by a terrible thirst.”
Sixty-one years after Sean Thornton fell for the fiery Mary Kate Danaher, the village of Cong in county Mayo attracts visitors who fell in love with its charms through their movie screens.
Recently, Her.ie travelled to this magical spot in the west to partake in the fun on offer for The Cong Festival 2013, which included the unveiling of The Quiet Man statue.
For the unacquainted, The Quiet Man tells the tale of a retired American boxer, played by the legendary John Wayne, who returns to the Irish village where her was born. Here, he encounters the famously fire redhead Mary Kate, brought to life by screen goddess Maureen O’Hara.
The Oscar winning flick has attracted generation after generation to the lush green fields of its setting, and the town of Cong is quick to embrace its movie made stardom, remaining quaint and sweet but happily steering away from twee.
We hit the road on Friday afternoon, escaping the capital traffic and heading west. We were headed for Lisloughrey Lodge, a boutique country house overlooking Lough Corrib, sharing grounds with the nearby Ashford Castle.
The weather gods were clearly pleased with our arrival, instructing the sun to peek out from behind the days clouds just as we turned up the drive to our home for the next two nights.
Spirits were high on all fronts at Lisloughrey, the locality set to be buoyed considerably with the influx of visitors for the festival, and the locals’ excuse to party. We were barely in the door and greeted by a warm and friendly receptionist when a passing construction worker made sure to give us all the details for that night’s céili. I like to think he figured I was a Clare woman, and knew my way around a set or two…
But first, to the room. It’s here we encountered our first issue. We had quite the schedule planned for the following days, and yet I knew on sight that I would struggle greatly to leave our dwelling.
Each room at Lisloughrey is named after a fine wine or champagne, and individually decorated. If you’re ever down this way – ask for the Moulis. Sleep on the cloud-like duck down bed, chill out in front of the fire and flat screen, or do like I did and treat yourself to a movie and some bubbly from the comfort of the feature bath in the corner of the room. Bliss.
But all that would have to wait, as we were planning on a dip of another sort before dinner, one in the outdoor hot tub, where guests wash away the strains and stresses of real life in a bubbling wooden cask overlooking the rolling hills and the Corrib’s waters.
Appetite worked up, we headed for the Quay bar for a late evening meal. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was lovely and the staff couldn’t be faulted.
While our dinner companions retired to their rooms, well fed and watered, Himself and I decided it was high time we saw some more of Cong. And so, we took the scenic route through the grounds of Ashford Castle and made our way to the céili.
A marquee had been set up especially for the weekend’s fun, and forty and fifty-somethings whirled around the floor to an energetic traditional soundtrack provided by four musicians on a makeshift stage.
We managed a waltz between sets, but my other half wouldn’t be quite so familiar with the set-dancing, so my h’aon, dó, trí nous went unused. I did get a very friendly offer to trade him in for an older model, but on this occasion I passed.
The next hour or two passed in a blur, as we enjoyed a whistle-stop tour of the village pubs, including Cohan’s, made famous by the film. The walk home took a little longer on the way back, as we had sampled some special ‘Quiet Man’ cocktails in the intervening hours.
There was no time for a sleep in the next morning, however. After a delicious full Irish in Wilde’s restaurant, we joined fellow guests for a leisurely stroll into the village and a guided historic walk and tour, taking us through the Abbey and the town, even meeting some Irish wolfhounds who were visiting for the weekend too.
The marquee was still in use, but not for dancing. Instead, it had been taken over by a Market and Craft Fair, where eager visitors stocked up on delicious chutneys, beauty buys and homewares.
Back to Lisloughrey, then, for a spot of lunch before we headed out again. This time we would be heading out on the water, with a Corrib boat cruise.
Should you ever plan a trip to this part of the world, we cannot recommend this trip highly enough. A history lesson has never been so much fun as this short cruise to one of the 365 islands off the coast (one for every day of the year, so they say). Historian and cruise captain Patrick led us to the island of St. Patrick, a monastic site on Inchagoill Island which boasts the ruins of St Patrick’s Church, built by St Patrick in 450AD. For the voyage over and back, four wonderful gentlemen with the vitality of those a third of their age played a soundtrack of beloved Irish singalong favourites. We were almost there when we noticed the picture on the table, proving one of the gentlemen was in the movie himself, the black and white snap showing him outside Cohan’s bar in the company of one John Wayne.
There’s nothing to work up the appetite like fresh air and water, so a short rest back at Lisloughrey later, (see aforementioned bath, movie and bubbly), and it was time for us to rejoin the group for a special evening menu at Wilde’s.
Plates were cleared greedily by the hungry visitors, so eager were we for the next course, and spirits were high. We left full, happy and unsure how we’d manage some dancing in the ballroom, where the Inishfree Ball was in full swing, but rest assured we were the last to leave the floor.
On Sunday afternoon with a full tummy and a heavy heart, we waved goodbye to Lisloughrey, already planning a visit back.
Lisloughrey Lodge offers a range of special offer breaks; midweek getaways, gourmet breaks, family holidays, romantic weekends and more. To find out more, call 094 954 5400 or visit the website here. Tell them Her.ie sent you, and you might even get a stay in Moulis…
