Tipperary actress Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan, were among the winners on a proud night for Irish cinema at the Bafta awards on Sunday.
The Banshees of Inisherin, which starred Condon and Keoghan, won four awards in all, including best original screenplay.
Colin Farrell, Daryl McCormack and Paul Mescal missed out in the best actor category, with the award instead going to Austin Butler, who starred in the biopic film Elvis.
Condon said that winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Banshees was “really surreal”.
Speaking about how she was feeling from the Bafta winner’s room, Condon (40), said: “Oh my God, the whole thing was just this blackout weird moment.
“All I remember is looking and seeing all the boys looking at me like, ‘get up’. It was just it was really surreal.”
While she was mid-speech in the winner’s room, the film’s director Martin McDonagh won another award for original screenplay, which caused Condon to get emotional.
We're here for Kerry Condon thanking her animals ❤️ #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/guDK3AV4Y6
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 19, 2023
Reflecting on why she felt her role of Siobhan resonated with so many, she said: “I hope it’s because she was able to be kind to somebody who annoyed her and I think it’s because she was evolved.
“And I think maybe because she showed a lot of inner strength and a lot of sadness that people experience, and also that a lot of her life is taking care of her brother or taking care of somebody else.
“And I think a lot of women sacrifice their lives for their children or for their husbands, or whoever.”
Keoghan won his Bafta in the supporting actor category, also for his performance in The Banshees Of Inisherin.
The 30-year-old said he feels the Bafta award success for The Banshees Of Inisherin will encourage artists in Ireland to “send the scripts in and go for what they want to do”.
Reflecting on what it means to receive the award for a film which is so close to home, Keoghan told the PA news agency in the Bafta winner’s room: “It encourages the arts at home and we are an island of storytelling and great actors and poets and writers.
“And this helps the industry massively at home and encourages people to send the scripts in and go for what they want to do.”
He added that he plans to celebrate his win with his son by ordering room service after the ceremony and that he was going to keep the award under a picture of his mother.
He also dedicated the award to children from the area he comes from.
Barry Keoghan thanks Ireland for his BAFTA ❤️? #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/SsDqX5EGkv
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 19, 2023
Sir Patrick Stewart presented outstanding British film to Banshees.
Director and writer Martin McDonagh said: “I know every Irish person in the cast and crew are going 'best what?'”
He also thanked the stand-in donkey, who he said is British and never made it on screen because she was “too tubby”, as well as thanking the cast and crew.
Banshees also took home Best Original Screenplay.
Director and writer Martin McDonagh thanked Bafta, his fellow nominees, production company and the stars.
McDonagh also said: “Making a sad film, shouldn’t be so much fun.”
Anti-war film All Quiet On The Western Front won seven awards, including best film not in the English language — at the expense of An Cailín Ciúin.
And the BAFTA for Best Film goes to All Quiet On The Western Front! @allquietmovie @netflixuk #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/jfTIMeZkad
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 19, 2023
The co-director of An Irish Goodbye, Ross White, has said they are “so honoured” to be a part of the talent from the nation who are sweeping the Bafta film awards tonight.
The short film is set in Northern Ireland, and won the British short film award at the ceremony on Sunday.
Speaking in the Bafta winners’ room, White said: “It’s a remarkable year for Irish film and the talent on display across all the awards."
Jamie Lee Curtis and Anya Taylor-Joy presented the outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer to Charlotte Wells for Aftersun, which starred Co Kildare actor Paul Mescal.
Tearfully, she thanked the producers, cast and crew and mentioned the earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey, where the movie was filmed.
Wells also said her film was a “eulogy” to her father and added “he’s not here, but my mum is”.
