All over Ireland rejoiced as Jessie Buckley won the ‘historic’ Oscar for Best Actress | Oscars 2026

Jesse Buckley’s Oscar win has sparked great joy across Ireland and prompted an early start to St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Politicians, artists and commentators expressed their joy and pride after they woke up on Monday to images of actor Kerry holding the Best Actress statue in Los Angeles.

Irish President Katherine Connolly said: “The Jesse Buckley Award is an historic moment.” “This achievement is a well-deserved testament not only to Jessie’s outstanding performance in Hamnet, but also to her performances on film and on stage throughout her career to date.”

As if that wasn’t enough, there are reports of thousands of Jesse Buckley masks being printed for St. Patrick’s Day parades on Tuesday, a public holiday.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin led a state tribute to Buckley, 36, and Richard Banham, a Dublin native who won his third Academy Award for visual effects for his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash. “A fantastic night for Irish film and performing arts,” posted on the X website.

Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said it was fantastic to see Buckley become the first Irish woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. “What a moment. Comgairdis Jessie!” he said, using the Irish word for congratulation.

Brenda Fricker won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1990 for My Left Foot.

Bookmakers have made Buckley the favorite at the 98th Academy Awards for her portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes Hathaway, in Chloe Zhao’s film version of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel.

However, friends, relatives and supporters in her hometown of Killarney who stayed up to watch the ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood were nervous – she faced competition from Emma Stone (Bugonia), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue) and Renate Rainsvi (Sentimental Value).

As the announcement date approached, tensions rose, said her uncle, Sean Buckley. He told RTÉ Radio: “There’s no weight with family. You always love them so much. But when there’s so much outside narrative, and people are talking about it, then you feel the noise building up.”

“Whatever was in that circumstance is not going to change our view of her, her view of herself, or her place within our family. It will all be the same. But it’s just the icing on the cake for her and her family.”

From the stage, Buckley thanked her parents who were in the audience. “Mom, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and never be defined by expectations, but to nurture your own passions.”

Her relatives said Buckley’s success – she swept all the major awards last year – would not weaken her connection to Ireland.

Her brother, Killian Buckley, told RTÉ: “She was more likely to be in the park covered in mud than walking down a high street.” “In her heart, she’s incredibly good at being herself.”

He described how he and his sister would put on plays in the family’s living room and ask their parents to pay a fee to watch them. “At the time, it seemed like a high price to pay, but I think it has turned out well now.”

His cousin, Roisin Buckley, said Jessie was the most outgoing person. “She’s interesting, she’s articulate. You can talk to Jessie about anything and there’ll be no judgement. In Hamnet, it was like she wasn’t acting. It was like she was wandering around in the woods around Killarney, collecting bits and things to make her own potions. What you see is what you get. She’s just wonderful.”