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John Wayne’s Son Patrick Remembers Once in Lifetime Trip to Ireland to Film ‘The Quiet Man’

 Some of John Wayne’s children are carrying on the Duke’s legacy. For instance, Ethan Wayne heads up several things in his father’s name including the massive museum in Fort Worth, Texas and the cancer research foundation that carries his father’s name. Recently, he came up with a way to bring memories of this dad to the masses. Ethan started a Podcast.

The John Wayne Gritcast aired its first episode on September 30 of this year. Fittingly, two of Ethan’s siblings, Patrick and Marisa, joined him to talk about their late father. So, fans of the Duke can hear all about the American icon from three of his offspring. That’s a strong start to any podcast.

During their conversation, the topic turned to traveling with their father. That’s when Patrick opened up about the unforgettable trip he took to Ireland while John Wayne was working on The Quiet Man.

John Wayne’s Son Patrick on Traveling to Ireland

Patrick Wayne said that his trip to Ireland to see John Wayne was the most memorable. “Well, I mean, the most interesting first trip was the one to Ireland, for me, because it was international travel. It was pretty exciting.”

John Wayne was already in the country to work on the film. So, Patrick and one of his brothers took the trip together. He recalled that international travel was much different in the early fifties. “Now, in those days, it was propeller planes,” he recalled. Then, he broke down the long path to Ireland. “You got on a plane at LA International which was a bunch of Quonset huts. It was barely an airport. You flew to New York, to Idlewild, because there was no Kennedy airport. There, you boarded a plane which went from New York to Goose Bay, to Gander, to Ireland.” Patrick likened that path to one someone would take in a small personal aircraft today.

However, it seems like the long trip was worth it for John Wayne’s son. He said that after they landed in Ireland, his eyes were wide with excitement the whole time.  “…because ya know, I’m in a foreign country but they do speak English. So, that was kind of cool. Just the whole cultural experience.”

He noted that it was 1951 and England was still recovering from the ravages of WWII, but Ireland was doing fine. “In the scheme of things, it was only six years after the war and England was hurting. We stayed at this place called the Ashford Castle which was fabulous. On the weekends, these people would come from England and spend the weekend there just to get a decent meal. I didn’t make the connection then, but that’s how close it was to World War II.” Before moving on, he said he got to work with John Wayne, “I had an opportunity to work in the movie, which was so much fun.”