PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has praised Cillian Murphy for dedicating his historic Oscar win for his role in Oppenheimer to the “peacemakers”.
Higgins also congratulated Irish production company Element Picture on the success of Poor Things, after the film picked up four Oscar awards.
Murphy became the first Irish-born person to win a Best Actor award at the Oscars for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the US physicist who masterminded the atomic bomb.
In his acceptance speech, Murphy remarked: “We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb.
“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world so I would really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.”
In a statement this morning, President Michael D Higgins congratulated Murphy on his “wonderful achievement” and noted that he “appropriately dedicated” his Oscar win “to the peacemakers everywhere”.
Congratulations to Cillian Murphy on his wonderful achievement in winning the Best Actor Oscar, which he so appropriately dedicated to the peacemakers everywhere. Congratulations too to @ElementPictures on the success of Poor Things
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) March 11, 2024
Comedian Dara Ó Briain this morning described Murphy as a “genuinely lovely man” and added: “Glad the auld acting has worked out for him.”
Ó Briain also joked that this is an achievement that “every county can take pride in equally since there is no record of what part of Ireland Cillian is from”.
Also, since there is no record of what part of Ireland Cillian is from, every county can take pride in his achievements equally.
— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) March 11, 2024
Fellow Cork native and Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he was “thrilled and delighted” with Murphy’s win and said it was “richly deserved” for a “brilliant performance that will stand the test of time”.
Absolutely thrilled & delighted that Cillian Murphy has won the Oscar for his performance in Oppenheimer.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 11, 2024
Richly deserved - a brilliant performance in an outstanding film that will stand the test of time.
A very proud day for Cork & Ireland. Congratulations Cillian 👏 pic.twitter.com/pz847B6LuG
“A proud day for Cork and Ireland,” said Martin.
And Cork City FC also plan to honour Murphy’s historic achievement by offering free tickets to anyone with the name Cillian Murphy at this Friday’s home game against Bray Wanderers.
Chief Operating Officer at Cork City FC Éanna Buckley noted that anyone called Cillian Murphy hoping to avail of free tickets this Friday “just has to tell us their name at the game at Turner’s Cross and show proof of ID”.
Elsewhere, the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) praised Murphy for his “incredible career and performance in Oppenheimer”, adding that he has “done his country proud”.
A huge congratulations from the Irish Academy to Cillian Murphy on his historic Oscar win for Best Actor — his incredible career and performance in Oppenheimer have done his country proud 💚
— Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) (@IFTA) March 11, 2024
Comhghairdeas! pic.twitter.com/j8SYA7QSWq
The IFTA also congratulated Element Pictures on its four Oscar wins with Poor Things, and Culture Minister Catherine Martin said she was “delighted for the Irish team behind this outstanding film”.
Best-selling author Marian Keyes also sent her congratulations to Murphy, though noting that she hasn’t seen Oppenheimer yet.
G'wan Cillian!!!!!!!🇮🇪
— Marian Keyes (@MarianKeyes) March 10, 2024
(Full disclosure, I didn’t see Oppenheimer because Christ alive, the real world is already unbearably painful and why would I subject myself to more terribleness in my leisure time but all the same, G'WAN CILLIAN!!!🇮🇪
Keyes wrote in a post on X: “The real world is already unbearably painful and why would I subject myself to more terribleness in my leisure time but all the same, G’WAN CILLIAN!”
Murphy and some members of the crew and production of Element Pictures travelled to the Oscars on board an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Los Angeles last week.
In a post this morning on X, Dublin Airport said it’ll have the red carpet ready for Murphy upon his return to Ireland.
We will have the red carpet ready #CillianMurphy 😉 https://t.co/VANsH4l0rz pic.twitter.com/dZ0WHR2WlD
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) March 11, 2024
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