Dublin born Hollywood screen icon Maureen O’Hara has decided to remain living in the U.S.
The 92-year-old is living in a care centre in Idaho close to her grandson, Conor Fitzsimons.
O’Hara left West Cork last autumn after living there for forty years after a legal battle with her former personal assistant, Carolyn Murphy, erupted. The ‘Quiet Man’ star relocated to West Cork with her husband, aviation pioneer Charles Blair, in 1968. Blair sadly passed away in 1978.
Last July, a visibly upset but mentally alert O’Hara called a press conference in Glengariff to confirm that her Murphy, her trusted friend and personal assistant, no longer had power of attorney over her affairs. ‘I am heartbroken,’ she said.
The Irish actress moved to Boise, Idaho at the end of 2012 to be close to her only grandson.
In the wake of the scandal, plans to develop an €8.6m cultural centre, film academy and arena named after O'Hara were put on hold.
Last week it emerged that O’Hara had launched legal proceedings seeking the return of files on her assets and finances from New York based attorney Howard Gibbs.
Her nephew Charlie Fitzsimons told the Belfast Telegraph that the screen star has no plans to return to her home in West Cork.
"Maureen is being bombarded with offers and gets requests to attend events every day," Fitzsimons said.
"If it was up to her, she would be attending most things. . . But we have to be more selective about what she attends now because she is 92 and these things are exhausting.
"She is in good health and is living in what is called a senior family home where she has two or three girls looking after her and giving her 24/7 care. She is also receiving occupational and physical therapy -- in fact, the only thing slowing her down is her diabetes. She is incredible."
The screen legend is best known for her roles in movies like Miracle on 34th Street, The Quiet Man, Our Man in Havana, and The Parent Trap.
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