Galway festival to celebrate work and Irish roots of Quiet Man director John Ford
Taking place in An Spidéal, Féile John Ford runs from September 5-7 and will feature film screenings and exhibitions of previously unseen photos and artefacts.
By reflecting on his extraordinary life and body of work, the festival aims to inspire a new generation of storytellers from his ancestral home-place and beyond.
Ford was born John Martin Feeney in Maine, USA in 1894 to Galway parents.
His father hailed from Tuar Beag, half-a-mile west of An Spidéal, while his mother came from Coill Rua nearby in a region known as Cois Fharraige ('Beside the Sea'),
Throughout his life, Ford maintained strong ties to Ireland, regularly visiting An Spidéal and later transforming Connemara into the unforgettable backdrop for his Oscar-winning 1952 classic, The Quiet Man.
He won a record four Oscars for Best Director for The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man, while he also helmed two Oscar-winning documentaries.
A true giant of cinema, Ford shaped the course of American film and influenced generations of filmmakers around the world.
However, despite being revered worldwide as a cinematic master, Ford's deep connections to the West of Ireland remain surprisingly under-appreciated. Legacy
This three-day festival brings his legacy home, honouring him through film screenings, talks and a special exhibition.
It will explore the creative thread that connects Ford's legacy to the thriving film and TV industry along Cois Fharraige in the South Connemara Gaeltacht region today.
There will be screenings of The Quiet Man, The Searchers, the Irish-set anthology film The Rising of the Moon and one of his silent films, The Shamrock Handicap, accompanied by live music.
A documentary on The Quiet Man will also be screened, while there will be storytelling workshops for children.
Talks and panel discussions will focus on Ford's roots in An Spidéal, Irish immigration to Maine and the influence of Irish culture in Ford's work.
An exhibition will feature photographs and original artefacts from his films, including unpublished photos of extras on the set of The Quiet Man,
It will also include actress Maureen O'Hara's original shawl from the movie and Ford's director's chair.
For more information on the festival, please visit www.feilejohnford.com
See More: Galway, John Ford
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
3 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Irish Rail unveils new piano at Dublin's Pearse Street station
Dublin's Pearse Street Station welcomed a new public piano this week as Iarnród Éireann unveiled the latest addition to its station music programme. Musical Theatre Dublin students joined performers from Fab4 Hands Piano Beatles, who are set to play at The Beatles Weekend in Dublin this weekend, to give the piano its first play. The instrument replaces the original Pearse Station piano, installed in 2017. After nearly a decade in service, the first piano will be refurbished and relocated to The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ozanam House Community Resource Centre in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, where it will support music and education programmes for children and families. The new piano was designed by Dublin-based visual artist Sarah Edmondson, her fourth for an Iarnród Éireann station since 2017. Sarah Edmondson's design takes inspiration from the rail journey north from Pearse to Howth, incorporating the Irish proverb Bíonn siúlach scéalach, meaning 'those who travel have tales to tell'. Set under a full moon, the artwork features patterns left by limpets on coastal rocks, drawing a visual parallel between their daily movements and commuter routines, and reflecting Iarnród Éireann's commitment to supporting local biodiversity. Waterford-born and Dublin-based, Sarah Edmondson is a visual artist, museum and gallery educator, and studio member at MART, Dublin. She has a long-standing relationship with Irish Rail, having previously designed public pianos for stations including Heuston, as well as the original piano in Pearse Street, inspired by the coastal journey along the south side of the Dart line. 'Pearse Station was where Iarnród Éireann's public piano journey began, so it's a privilege to return to create a new chapter here,' she said. 'This design reflects the journey north to Howth, the rhythm of daily travel, and the moments of imagination that can make any journey a little more special. 'I hope it encourages passengers to pause, play, and add their own stories to the station's soundtrack,' she added. Joanne Bissett, Iarnród Éireann Arts & Social Officer, said the piano had been 'part of daily life for thousands of commuters for nearly a decade'. Dublin piano tuner John Murphy, who has worked on the project since its inception, said the pianos had become a 'much-loved feature', providing a soundtrack to commuters' daily journeys and weekend trips.
RTÉ News
31 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
In The Picture: Wunderhorse live at Collins Barracks
UK alt-rock contenders Wunderhorse, supported by Shame, lit up Collins Barracks in Dublin as part of the Wider Than Pictures concert series - enjoy a gallery of pics from photographer Leah Carroll above. London-based post-punk outfit Shame took to the stage with raw, magnetic energy, soaking the crowd in riffs and soul-baring vocals that echoed through the Barracks. Wunderhorse, with their signature melodic hooks, continued to win over a sold-out venue for the evening. Having successfully smashed their biggest Irish headlining show to date, we predict bigger venues to come.
Irish Post
an hour ago
- Irish Post
Kneecap thank supporters who came out in force for rapper's Westminster court hearing
KNEECAP has thanked the hundreds of supporters who came out in force as band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh attended a hearing at Westminster Magistrate's Court yesterday. The rapper, who performs in the Irish language hip hop group under the name Mo Chara, was met with throngs of flag-waving supporters as well as journalists and photographers as he arrived at the court. In May the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command charged the Belfast native over a Palestinian flag allegedly displayed at Kneecap's show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London on November 21, 2024. The force said that the 27-year-old displayed the flag "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah". Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday, where his hearing was adjourned until September (Pic: Getty Images) Following his first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18, he was released on unconditional bail to return yesterday. He was released on unconditional bail once again as this week's hearing - which was set to establish whether chief magistrate Judge Paul Goldspring has jurisdiction to hear the case - was adjourned. He is now due to return to the court to hear the judge's findings on September 26. Ó hAnnaidh's bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who perform as Moglai Bap and DJ Provai respectively, joined him at the hearing. The band later thanked those supporters who were also in attendance in a social media post. 'A massive GRMA to everyone who came out to support us as their carnival of distraction rolls on,' they said. 'We will be back on September 26 for the Court to determine jurisdiction, we have set out why it does not.' They added: 'Kneecap is not the story. Palestine is the story. The British government are aiding a genocide, do not stop calling them out.' Guildford Four and Birmingham Six lawyer Gareth Pierce is leading the legal team defending Ó hAnnaidh as he fights the charge against him. The team also includes Belfast-based Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, Brenda Campbell KC, Jude Bunting KC and Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC.
