A campaign to restore the cottage from the classic Irish movie The Quiet Man is gathering pace and now has over 8,200 signatures.
The Co Mayo village of Cong where The Quiet Man was filmed has become a tourist attraction over the years.
Visitors enjoy being able to walk around the areas that were made famous by the classic John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara film.
However, the picturesque cottage, known as White O’Morn, which was at the heart of the 1951 film, now stands derelict. It can be a source of disappointment for tourists who hope to see a pretty cottage but only find a pile of stones with just one wall still standing.
The petition, launched by Patrick McCormick, aims to persuade Galway Council to add the cottage on to its list of ‘Protected Structures’.
McCormick 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.
“Neither should be allowed to, needlessly and unnecessarily, rot away into oblivion.
“In fact, as things currently stand – without ANY legislative protection – this iconic site could be levelled without consequence or accountability.
“Adding the location to the RPS would represent a major step towards finally halting the ongoing decline of the site and could act as a catalyst for all interested individuals and groups to come together and make some real progress towards finally rescuing the cottage and its curtilage for future generations to celebrate and enjoy.”
O’Hara signed the petition as soon as she heard about it. McCormick’s campaign partner, Ms June Parker Beck, quoted the actress as saying: “It is sad to see the cottage in a shambles. How can anyone say anything but wonderful things about it, and see to it that it is restored for them and in their memory – and for Ireland?”For more information about the campaign visit the White O’Morn Facebook page
