Maureen O’Hara quits Ireland ahead of High Court case over power of attorney

“The Quiet Man” star quits West Cork retreat to return to USA

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Beloved Irish actress Maureen O'Hara

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Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara has quit her West Cork retirement home and returned to America after a bitter row with her former aide.

The 92-year-old “Quiet Man” star ignored her fragile health to fly back to the States on Saturday.
She has left Ireland before a High Court case to decide who has power of attorney over control of her affairs after a bitter row with her former assistant Carolyn Murphy.

O’Hara made a brief comment on her fan website when she arrived back in the USA.

The Irish Examiner reports that she told fans she ‘had an excellent flight’ both physically and mentally.
The actress also said she was looking forward to ‘holiday time and family time’ in the States after grandson Conor Beau Fitzsimons accompanied her on her trip.

The statement also said O’Hara had ‘left Ireland with the blessings of her only daughter Bronwyn.’

She returns to America after a torrid year in Ireland when she was forced to deny she was the victim of elder abuse, underwent tests to assess her state of mind, and parted company with a number of long-time advisers and staff.

She has already contested a High Court case in Dublin which was asked to grant enduring power of attorney to her former personal assistant Carolyn Murphy.

O’Hara first asked Murphy to manage her affairs seven years ago.

However, a press conference attended by O’Hara and Fitzsimons in Cork last year heard a series of allegations about Murphy and the foundation established to honour the actress’s legacy.

The report says that the foundation later opened its books to defend itself and account for money that had been spent and the vision it had for a proposed $17m legacy centre.

O’Hara’s stepson Chris Blair has said he supports what the foundation is trying to achieve.

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