Ireland entered this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations with an extra spring in their step, following their resounding success—just two days prior—at the Oscars. Irish charm has certainly been overflowing in pots of gold this past week. At the Academy Awards, Jessie Buckley became the first Irish winner of the Best Actress for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (2025). The favourite to win, it was the perfect final flourish to Buckley’s incredible clean sweep of awards this season, including the BAFTA, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards, all for Best Actress.
In her spellbinding performance as Agnes, the wife of Shakespeare (played by her Irish Co-Star, Paul Mescal), I would say with certainty that these wins were utterly deserved. While there has been discourse around Mescal being ‘snubbed’ of the Oscar nomination, he has an ever-growing catalogue of extraordinary performances, including Aftersun (2022), Gladiator II (2024), and the upcoming Beatles Biopic, where Mescal is set to play Paul McCartney. There is no doubt, therefore, that this star’s career is only on the rise. Not only did Hamnet come to fruition through Irish talent, but it was written by Coleraine’s very own Maggie O’Farrell, who described Buckley’s performance as “mesmerising”. Aside from Hamnet, the beloved and familiar bemused expression sported by Cillian Murphy was there to be seen.
Other powerhouses of Irish talent dominating the screens at the moment include Andrew Scott, who was favoured for a nomination in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon (2025). His other notable accolade, which I must note, includes the BBC’s Fleabag (2016). His performance was pensive yet hilarious, which forever branded him in my mind as Fleabag’s hot priest. Similarly, Saoirse Ronan and Nicola Coughlan are taking the industry by storm. Most recently, Coughlan was brilliant in Season 3 of Bridgerton (2020), bringing Penelope to centre stage.
Despite what this title intones, their success was not built on luck but on their sheer grit and talent. It is really pleasing to see it be recognised on an international scale. Irish talent dominating the scene this year is not an anomaly: in 2025, Ireland dominated the awards season, with 14 Irish Oscar nominations, and in 2023, An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) was the first film in the Irish language to be nominated for Best International Feature Film.
Many have spoken about an Irish creative renaissance in recent years. The extent of Irish talent at the Academy Awards is just a microcosm of the waves Irish creatives are making in art, cinema, literature and music industries. In asking why this is the case, some cite the deep tradition and culture that Ireland is entrenched in (yes, there is more to Irish heritage than the green Guinness served at Three Sisters). Others argue for a natural resurgence following a large creative wave in the 70s. Perhaps it is the prospering Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) scheme delivered by the Irish government to support artists. Whatever the reason behind this resurgence, Ireland’s vein of creativity is pumping, and we cannot get enough: long may it continue. Comhghairdeas Jessie!