Irish actress Jessie Buckley has become the first Irish woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress, earning the honour for her performance as Agnes Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s film adaptation of Hamnet.
The award was presented at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, 15th March 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Buckley, previously nominated for her supporting role in The Lost Daughter, triumphed over fellow nominees Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value.
Her win follows past nominations in the category for Irish actresses Saoirse Ronan and Ruth Negga.
Buckley’s portrayal of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, has been widely praised for its emotional depth. The film, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, explores themes of love, grief, and family.
Her performance resonated strongly with critics and audiences, contributing to a successful awards season that included wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs.
In her acceptance speech, Buckley expressed gratitude and dedicated the award to motherhood.
She said to director Chloé Zhao: “To know this incandescent woman, and journey to understand the capacity of a mother’s love is the greatest collision of my life.”
She added: “It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today, but I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
Buckley also acknowledged her family, saying: “My family, my Irish family, they’re all here tonight.”
She described the recognition as her “greatest honor” and added: “This is the greatest honor. I can’t even believe it.”
The win prompted widespread celebration across Ireland.
President Catherine Connolly called it a “historic moment” and a “thoroughly deserved testament” to Buckley’s career. Tánaiste Simon Harris described the achievement as fantastic. The news also sparked early St Patrick’s Day festivities.
Earlier this year, Buckley shared a more personal side during an appearance on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie Ware and Lennie Ware, released in January 2024 while promoting Wicked Little Letters.
Asked about her hypothetical last meal, she said: “I would have oysters and chips and a dirty gin martini for starters,” specifying that the oysters would have to be Irish.
“And then I would have my dad’s homemade, hot-out-of-the-oven brown bread.”
She noted that her father uses Macroom flour, a traditional Irish ingredient. For her main course, she chose her husband Freddie’s midnight pasta with garlic, anchovy, capers, and red pepper, based on a New York Times recipe, paired with a chilled, light-bodied red wine.
For dessert, she said she would have a bottomless bag of chocolate buttons with a cup of tea or an old-fashioned.
Hannah Duxbury-Pardoe, Head of Culinary at meal-kid provider HelloFresh Ireland, commented on Buckley’s choices: “It’s clear she loves Ireland, Irish food and everything that reminds her of home and the memories of those close to her. It wasn’t just Irish bread, it was her father’s bread, and it wasn’t just a New York Times recipe, it was when her husband specifically cooked it.”
She added: “The oysters bit got me, actually. It’s not sentimental at all. She’s picking them because our oysters are genuinely different. They have this particular flavour because of the mineral content in Atlantic waters. Once you’ve had a proper one, you just know.”
Irish oysters, particularly rock oysters from the country’s coastal waters, are known for their clean, mineral-forward flavour and creamy texture, shaped by the cold Atlantic environment.
Buckley’s Oscar win marks a significant milestone for Irish talent in Hollywood, combining critical acclaim with a strong sense of personal identity and connection to home.
For pasta recipe inspiration, you can visit HelloFresh Ireland.