The name Spiddal in Irish is An Spideal, derived from Ospideal (Hospital). The Knights Hospitalers are believed to have established a hospital here around the 14 th century. Every June a festival is held to celebrate the small traditional fishing vessel called the currach and offers an exciting spectacle. The film director, John Ford was born in America on the 1 st of February 1895 , the 13 th child of Irish immigrants from Spiddal. He was to gain fame as one of the world’s most distinguished film directors, directing such classic films as ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘The Informer’. In 1951 John Ford spent many pleasant periods in Spiddal with John Wayne, visiting relatives while filming the Quiet Man in Cong.