Oscars success shows Irish ‘confidence’ says Micheal Martin

Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin has said the country’s success at the Academy Awards shows its “confidence” in its contribution to America.

The Taoiseach was speaking at an event in Washington DC on Monday during his visit to the US for St Patrick’s Day.

He said: “We’re confident in our contribution to America on a number of fronts.

“I mean, look at last evening, an Irish actress winning the Oscar in, said by all of the critics, an outstanding film.

“I mean, that’s where Ireland is today. We’re a self confident country, self confident people.”

Jessie Buckley won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Hamnet, which also starred Irish actor Paul Mescal and was based on the book by Coleraine-born Maggie O’Farrell.

Mr Martin said Buckley’s win as “an outstanding victory for her extraordinary hard work” and “the level of excellence that she demonstrates on an ongoing basis”.

He described the actress, who is from Killarney in County Kerry, as a “tremendous ambassador for Ireland”.

Later, speaking in Irish he said her victory is a “fantastic story, especially for Killarney, for Jessie Buckley’s family and her friends”.

He said for the people of County Kerry the Academy Award is “as important, maybe more important, than the Sam Maguire”, the cup awarded annually to the winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Mr Martin also congratulated Dubliner Richard Baneham who collected his third visual effects Oscar for his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash during Sunday night’s ceremony.

The Taoiseach said Baneham’s continued success is a “tremendous tribute to the further education sector in Ireland”.

He said when Ballyfermot College of Further Education, where Baneham studied animation, “really started developing in the late 90s” it was “one of the first colleges in the country to develop programmes and courses in that area”.

Mr Martin said Baneham “personifies the need to always think outside the box in terms of learning and in terms of the education provision”.