A statue of Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne’s characters from “The Quiet Man” will be unveiled in the town of Cong on Tuesday, October 8.

The Minister of the State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Michael Ring will unveil the bronze statue, which has been installed near Cong Abbey. The ceremony will occur during the Cong Festival.  A letter from Maureen O’Hara and a message from the Wayne Family and Paramount Pictures will be read during the ceremony. Over the weekend scenes from the film will be recreated.

The Mayo News reports that Cong Festival Chairman Patrick Luskin said the statue is “a fitting tribute to the people who took part in the making of ‘The Quiet Man.’”

Swinford sculptor Mark Rode made the statue and in a gesture of goodwill he will present a small replica of the statue to the people of Cong. Measuring 18 inches high and 12 inches wide, only eight replicas will be made using the same pour used to make the statue itself.

One replica will go on a silent auction and the money raised from it will go towards maintaining the town’s statue. Someone has already placed a bid of $6,767 for the replica. The highest bidder will receive a certificate of authentication signed by Luskin and Rode. Luskin said, “At the moment there will just be one auctioned but there will only ever be eight made.”

For more information on the Cong Festival and how to place a bid, visit www.congfestival.com

Made in 1951, “The Quiet Man” was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne as Sean Thornton returning to settle down in Ireland after emigrating to the US. Maureen O’Hara played Mary Kate Danaher, the girl he marries. Much of the popular movie was filmed in Cong and Connemara. Cong has attracted many visitors and fans of the film and has an annual Quiet Man festival to celebrate the town’s connection with the film.