The famous cottage that featured in the classic Irish movie The Quiet Man is to be preserved after Galway Council added it to the official Record of Protected Structures.
The decision comes after months of campaigning and a petition that gathered thousands of online signatures to save the building.
The iconic cottage is known as ‘White O’Morn’. It is owned by Canadian Gregory Ebbitt. It played a central role in The Quiet Man, as Maureen O’Hara’s and John Wayne’s characters fell in love in the beautiful Irish countryside.
There is a replica of the cottage in Cong, 11 miles away from the original. This has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to its association with the film.
Now there are hopes that in the future the original can be restored and add a further boost to the tourism industry in Galway.
One of the key men behind the campaign was Patrick McCormick. He had previously said: “This setting represents a precious tourism asset which could – and should – be generating visitors, jobs and revenue for the people of County Galway/Connemara.
“The purpose of addition to the Council’s Record of Protected Structures (RPS) would be to halt further deterioration of the cottage and very importantly – it’s curtilage – before everything is lost forever.”
The campaign drew even support from Hollywood legend and star of the film Maureen O’Hara.
Now the cottage is added to the list, it means that what it cannot be demolished without council permission.
Restoration could take place if at some point in the future if the current owner has a change of heart, or it passes to a new owner who is more sympathetic to the White O’Morn campaign.
It is a good first step for the campaign group. However, as the cottage is privately owned they are not yet able to restore it to its former glory without permission.