Jessie Buckley First Irish Woman to Win Best Actress Oscar
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- Jessie Buckley won Best Actress at the 98th Academy Awards for playing Agnes Hathaway in Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel 'Hamnet', beating out Emma Stone, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson and Renate Reinsve
- Buckley became the first Irish woman to win the Best Actress Oscar, with Irish President Catherine Connolly calling it a 'historic moment' and Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris leading tributes
- The win triggered early St Patrick's Day revelry, with thousands of Jessie Buckley masks reportedly being printed for Tuesday's parades in Ireland
- Dubliner Richard Baneham won his third visual effects Oscar for 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', prompting Martin to hail 'a wonderful night for Irish film and the performing arts'
- In her acceptance speech, Buckley thanked her parents in the audience for teaching her 'to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to care from your own passion'
- Buckley's brother Killian told RTÉ she remains grounded, saying she is 'more likely to be in the garden covered in muck than walking down a high street' and that the two siblings used to stage plays in the family living room and charge their parents to watch
Why it matters: Buckley's win is being treated as a national milestone by Ireland's president and both leaders of government, framing the personal achievement as a historic first for Irish women in film. The convergence with St Patrick's Day — a public holiday the day after the ceremony — amplifies the moment into a countrywide celebration, with her image literally being mass-produced for parade masks.
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