The childhood home of Hollywood actress Maureen O’Hara has been memoralised with a commemorative plaque.
Number 32 Beechwood Avenue Upper in Ranelagh, in Dublin, is where Ms O’Hara spent her early years before making her mark in Hollywood.
Born Maureen FitzSimons on 17 August 1920, she went on to become one of the most iconic actresses of her generation, starring in such classics as The Quiet Man, alongside John Wayne, Miracle on 34th Street, and How Green Was My Valley.
Speaking at the unveiling of the plaque, Dublin Lord Mayor James Geoghegan said: “It’s extraordinary that it has taken this long to commemorate one of Ranelagh’s most famous residents in Maureen O’Hara.
“Personally, it is a great honour for me as a Lord Mayor of Dublin who grew up a stone’s throw from Beechwood Avenue to unveil her commemorative plaque here this morning.”
He said that many people who live in the area remember Ms O’Hara formally opening the Ranelagh Arts Festival in 2010.
“While Ireland seems to be having a bit of moment in Hollywood right now, Maureen O’Hara was completely unique at that time for an Irish person to have had the success that she had on the silver screen,” the Lord Mayo said.
The commemorative plaque unveiling at Ms O’Hara’s former home in Ranelagh, is part of Dublin City Council’s ongoing initiative to celebrate and honour notable Dubliners who have contributed to the city’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
