To celebrate Cillian Murphy’s deserved win at the 2024 Oscars, we put together a list of Irish Oscar winners throughout the years. While there haven’t been a massive number of individual Irish acting winners, Ireland has enjoyed a strong presence regardless, with plenty of nominations and also some non acting awards.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the Irish at the Oscars:
Irish Oscar Winning Actors
- Daniel Day-Lewis is the only Irish actor with three Oscar wins for Best Actor: “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Lincoln” (2012).
- Brenda Fricker won Best Supporting Actress for “My Left Foot” (1989).
- Cillian Murphy just recently won Best Actor in 2024 for his role in “Oppenheimer”
Non acting Irish Oscar Winners
- George Bernard Shaw, a legendary playwright born in Dublin, won for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1939 for “Pygmalion.”
- Josie MacAvin, a Dublin-born set decorator, is the only Irish person to win both an Oscar and an Emmy, for Best Art Direction in “Out of Africa” (1985).
- Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova: The musical duo won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” from the film “Once” (2007). Their heartfelt collaboration resonated with audiences worldwide.
- Neil Jordan: A talented filmmaker, Neil Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “The Crying Game” (1992). His thought-provoking and visually stunning films have earned him widespread acclaim.
- Kenneth Branagh: Won a Best Original Screenplay award for Belfast in 2021.
- Barry Fitzgerald: Won a Best Supporting Actor award for Going My Way in 1944.
- Michèle Burke: Won two joint Best Makeup and Hairstyling awards.
- Tyron Montgomery: Won a joint Best Animated Short Film joint award, for “Quest” in 1996
- Ross White: Won a joint Best Live Action Short Film award for “An Irish Goodbye” in 2022
- Benjamin Cleary: Won a joint Best Live Action Short Film award for “Stutterer” in 2015
- Martin McDonagh: Won a Best Live Action Short Film award for “Six Shooter” 2005
- Corinne Marrinan: Won a joint Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) award for “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin” 2005
For a more comprehensive list, you can check out Wikipedia’s page on “List of Irish Academy Award winners and nominees” [Irish Oscar Winners].
How many Oscar winners does Ireland have?
There have been a total of 15 Irish award winners, including joint award winners, non acting awards, and for those with multiple awards. Note that this includes people from the Republic of Ireland and from Northern Ireland. It does not include members of the Irish diaspora unless they were born in Ireland or hold Irish citizenship.
What Irish actors are most likely to win an Oscar going forward?
Several Irish actors have garnered critical acclaim and are likely contenders for the prestigious award in the coming years. Some Irish actors who have shown great potential and may be in the running for an Oscar include:
- Saoirse Ronan: Already a four-time Oscar nominee, Saoirse Ronan continues to impress with her remarkable performances in films such as “Brooklyn” (2015), “Lady Bird” (2017), and “Little Women” (2019). With her talent, versatility, and range, she remains a strong contender for future Oscar recognition.
- Ruth Negga: With her powerful portrayal of Mildred Loving in “Loving” (2016), Ruth Negga earned her first Oscar nomination. She has demonstrated her talent across a variety of genres and has the potential to deliver award-worthy performances in the future.
- Jessie Buckley: Rising star Jessie Buckley has garnered attention for her captivating performances in films like “Wild Rose” (2018) and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020). With her talent and versatility, she has the potential to earn Oscar recognition in the future.
- Colin Farrell: A veteran with a resurgence in popularity. Landing a critically acclaimed lead role in a major film could put him in the running.
- Jessie Buckley: Gaining serious awards recognition. A powerful performance in the right project could be her breakout.
- Paul Mescal: Rising star with awards attention. Similar to Buckley, a captivating role could launch him into the Oscar conversation.
While it’s impossible to predict with certainty who will win an Oscar, these Irish actors have demonstrated their talent and have the potential to achieve great success in the film industry, including earning the coveted Academy Award.
