THE DUKE IS KING IN CONG FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE FILMING OF 'THE QUIET MAN,' JOHN WAYNE STILL LOOMS LARGE IN A SMALL IRISH VILLAGE

Many tourists go to western Ireland to catch fish, but those descending on the sleepy village of Cong go angling for a piece of Hollywood.
Visitors who make the pilgrimage to this quiet village where the John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara classic, "The Quiet Man," was filmed will find more than traces of Hollywood. This land belongs not only to the Duke but to James Joyce, castles and flying pigs.

Cong is on the doorstep to one of the wildest regions in Ireland, known as the Connemara. Nestled amid the windswept, treeless mountains in Maam Valley, where Wayne's film cottage once stood. His thatched- roof house is in ruins, but the untamed landscape is still as magnificent as it was on celluloid. The Connemara region is also famous for its ponies, descendants of Arabian stock that came ashore from Spanish armada wrecks. Many of the horse-racing scenes in "The Quiet Man" were filmed at nearby Lettergesh Beach- where you can still rent a Connemara pony and kick up some of your own sand. Also tucked in these parts is the area dubbed Joyce's Country. Those with more of a yen for glitz than literature start their pilgrimage in Cong.
"There I am in the picture," proclaims self-appointed "Quiet Man" expert and movie extra Jack Murphy. Memorabilia is splayed all over Murphy's general store in Cong, which was Cohan's Bar in the 1951 film. Though no longer a bar, Murphy's store still bears its movie name across its weathered exterior. Murphy reminisces about being an "extra" while autographing copies of the booklet he wrote about the film, for sale in his store. Set in Ireland in 1927, the movie is about an American boxer who arrives in his ancestral land to claim his roots after accidentally killing a man in the ring. O'Hara plays the Irish "colleen" with whom Wayne falls in love.
For hard-core movie fans, Cong's biggest draw is the Quiet Man Heritage Cottage, an exact replica of Wayne's movie home. Overblown security measures and a stern shopkeeper keep a watchful eye on holiday fourists in this one-room shrine, lest someone dsturn O'Hara's four poster bed. Props, costumes, news articles and video are worth the $5 admission for those on a mission.
Before heading down memory lane with pamphlet in hand, visitors have plenty more to see in Cong. Practically next door stands the roofless, 13th-century Royal Abbey. The paneled floor of ancient tombstones causes many a tourist to gingerly step around the graves to read the inscriptions. But the Monks' Fishing House perched over the River Cong's crystal-clear water is the real catch. Forbidden to use rod and reel, these clever monks rigged fishing lines to a bell in the house. When the lunch bell rang, they knew their fish sandwiches had arrived.

Ireland's Robin Hood
The ruins from another enterprising gent's house lie nearby- western Ireland's Robin Hood, George McNamara, lived here in the 1700's, robbing from rich landlords and giving to the poor. Just five minutes down the road, Wayne and his entourage stayed at some very royal digs during the 10-week filming of "The Quiet Man." Ashford Castle, built in the 12th century, was home to the entire cast.
Many of the scenes were shot on the 350-acre estate (once owned by the Guiness brewery family) nestled on the shores of Lough Corrib, Ireland's second-largest lake. O'Hara herded sheep on what is now the golf course's third fairway along with Jacko the sheepdog, presumably a caddie in training.
Today, Ashford Castle, a postcard-perfect, sprawling complex of turrets and stone, is a picture of opulence and exclusivity. A standard room today was $300--private bath included. Celebrities, from Fred Astaire to Ronald Reagan to Big Bird, have visited over the decades. Of course you don't have to be a celebrity to stay the night, but you'll feel like one if you can afford it.

O'Hara's hangout
Fans looking for O'Hara's film cottage must hike to a remote corner of the castle grounds, where the resident family sells postcards. O'Hara often stays in the house next door as a guest of the Castle's head linen lady, whom she befriended almost 50 years ago.
If you're not staying in the castle itself, admission for walking the extensive gardens and trails in $4. If you prefer to ride, you can hire driver Mike Waldron and his horse Finnegan to take you for a spin in the movie's original jaunting car (horse cart). Like a true Irishman with the gift of gab, Waldren regales his passengers with a litany of Irish humor and tales.
Another teller of tall tales, Oscar Wilde spent most of his early childhood two miles east of Cong, at Moytura House, which overlooked one of the more scenic parts of Lough Corrib. He once wrote to a friend, "I am sure you will like this wild mountainous country, close to the Atlantic and teeming with sports of all kinds. It is in every way magnificent and makes me years younger than actual history records."
Most tourists coming to this part of Ireland know of Lough Corrib's beauty and reputation as one of Europe's best salmon and trout fisheries. Hiring a ghillie (a local fishing guide) guarantees you'll drop your line in the right spot. Cruises to Inchagoill Island, largest of some 36o5 isles that dot the lake, give tourists a look at ancient ruins of a church that St. Patrick built in the fifth century.

The flying pig
The nearby town of Clonbur never benefited from "The Quiet Man" fame, but three years ago its residents dreamt up a ploy to draw their own crowds. They put a pig in a sling, gave it a copter ride, then set the whirlybird down before an eager crowd awaiting Porky's arrival--hence the Flying Pig Festival was "air" borne. (Don't worry, PETA supporters, this act uses a real "ham" for the stand-in talent.)
Besides the high-flying bacon, the three-day affair serves up a smorgasboard of Irish rural life. Some of the more unusual events include sheep dog trials, bonny baby competition and tug-of-war matches.
Those first hooked on Cong by its Hollywood connection will discover lots more to this "quiet' region than the Duke's trail. Visitors to the area will be grateful to this American cowboy who lured them to Ireland's wild west.
More information: Irish Tourist Board, (800_ 223-6470, or (212) 418-0800.

Susan Zimmerman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11-29-1998, ppT1.