Less than 24 hours after Killarney’s Jessie Buckley secured the Academy Award for Best Actress, students from the Fiona Crowley Stage School were thrust into the national media spotlight on Monday afternoon.

The young performers were joined at the Arbutus Hotel by Zara King of Virgin Media Television and James Patrice from RTÉ’s Today Show.
The television crews were in town to capture the local reaction to the Oscar success, and the students were thrilled to showcase their own talents for the cameras.
Dressed in full costume for their upcoming April production of Wicked, the students gathered in the family-run Arbutus Hotel.
The location held particular significance for the group, as the hotel’s stage is the same venue where Jessie Buckley won her AIMS Best Actress award during her early years in Killarney.
Fiona Crowley said that seeing a local actress reach the pinnacle of the film industry has provided immense inspiration to the current class.
Photos: Marie Carroll O’Sullivan

The historic achievement of Jessie Buckley as the first Irish woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress is expected to inspire future generations of performers and provide a significant boost to the national film industry.

Audiovisual Ireland, the IBEC body representing the screen sector, has warmly welcomed the win for her performance in Hamnet, noting that such global recognition highlights the immense breadth of creative talent currently working within Ireland.

According to Audiovisual Ireland director Nicola Cooke, the screen sector now contributes over €1 billion to the economy and supports almost 16,000 jobs nationwide.

Production spend alone reached over €544 million in 2025, marking a 26% increase from the previous year.

Industry leaders believe that the visibility provided by Buckley’s success profiles Ireland as a premier destination for international film production and tourism.

“Given the prominence and reach of the screen productions, along with the sector’s contribution to regional employment, this highlights the industry as a key part or our national cultural identity as storytellers, and truly profiles Ireland as a destination for tourism,” said Cooke

To maintain this momentum, the sector continues to advocate for the promotion of funding initiatives and the Section 481 tax credit to ensure that digital production and animation continue to drive growth.