Maureen O’Hara statue in Cork: Family needs an apology

Maureen O’Hara’s grandson Conor Beau Fitzsimons has spoken out after a bronze statue of his well-known grandmother was faraway from its West Cork website inside two days of being unveiled in response to fierce criticism.

“No one reached out to us, to even show us, or ask our opinion if there was a likeness to [Maureen],” Fitzsimons instructed The Southern Star on May 10.

“It’s so disrespectful after what Maureen did for West Cork. They couldn’t get their act together and get it right.”

He added: “They certainly dropped the ball and what was worse was that no one even called to say the statue was going up. We only found out about it when the statue was actually taken down.”

Fitzsimons believes he and his household are actually owed an apology from Cork County Council, The Southern Star experiences. He has additionally invited artists from throughout Ireland to provide you with one other statue for his grandmother.

“We want a statue of her to remain in Glengarriff for years to come,” Fitzsimons mentioned, “and I am really disappointed at how it has all turned out.”

Fitzsimons’s feedback come after Cork County Council mentioned in a press release that the artist behind the statue “indicated that it was his preference to remove the sculpture and refuse the commission.”

The assertion added: “The Council is disturbed that inappropriate anonymous online commentary has become a prevalent and unfair means to respond to community projects such as this and is also mindful of the impact of the online violation of the reputation of a well known, respected, talented local artist and sincerely regrets the distress which he and his family have experienced due to his participation in this project.”

The bronze statue of Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara was unveiled in Glengarriff, West Cork on April 26, however was eliminated simply two days later after locals flocked to social media with their criticisms:

“Lord God..that’s dreadful…where is her likeness????..not in a million years would anyone looking at this guess it was beautiful Maureen O’Hara”

“Melt it down and start again. Maureen O’Hara was a true beauty. This does her a disservice.”

“What an insult to the Ppl of Glengarriff to have this cold and downright scary figure plonked on paving bricks in their midst.”

“What a grossly distorted piece of junk. “

“She looks more of a banshee than a beauty??”

“Doesn’t look one bit like her Maureen O Hara was a fantastic lady she would chuckle at it”

On April 29, Visit Glengarriff mentioned on Facebook: “The statue was eliminated at present.

“We have no additional data at this level, however we’ll let about how our beloved Maureen goes to be remembered within the village in the long run.

“We thanks to your take care of Glengarriff and Maureen O’Hara.”

The Maureen O’Hara statue in Glengarriff has already endured a bumpy trip. Plans for a memorial statue had been put forth in 2017, however in December 2020, Cork County Council accepted a refund of €26,250, in addition to the unused statue, after it was deemed unsuitable for set up.

O’Hara, who was born in Ranelagh in Dublin, rocketed to fame in Hollywood thanks largely to her function as Mary Kate Danaher in John Ford’s “The Quiet Man,” through which she starred reverse John Wayne.

In 1970, O’Hara and her husband, Captain Charles F. Blair, Jr, bought a house in Glengarriff in West Cork. Just eight years later, Blair was tragically killed in a airplane crash. 

After her husband’s dying, O’Hara used the home, Lugdine Park, as a vacation retreat earlier than settling there completely in 2005.

In October 2014, O’Hara introduced that she can be bidding farewell to her native Ireland and transferring to the US to dwell together with her grandson and his household in Idaho. Shortly thereafter, Lugdine Park went available on the market.

When she introduced that she can be leaving Ireland, O’Hara shared her recollections of Lugdine Park and her fondness for Glengarriff in a press release to the Irish Times in 2014.

“I’ve so many joyful recollections of Lugdine Park,” O’Hara mentioned on the time. “I’ll cherish them my entire life and so with a smile, I go the house on to a fortunate household who will love her as a lot as I do. They have essentially the most great neighbors an individual can hope for in Glengarriff.

“I can never fully express my gratitude for their kindness and the special place each of them holds in my heart. It’s a lovely village filled with wonderful people who are so proud of this magical piece of heaven. She is with me always in my heart.”

O’Hara, who acquired an honorary Oscar in 2014, died on October 24, 2015, in Boise, Idaho, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC.