The Academy Awards ceremony, which is also known by most as the Oscars, is an annual televised awards ceremony that celebrates actors, actresses and other talented individuals, such as musicians, producers, directors, writers, fashion designers, and visual effect artists, to name a few, for their achievements in film and television.
On this page, we will be taking a closer look at several Irish stars who sparkled at this year's Oscars, which was officially called the 97th Academy Awards.
Which Irish stars painted Hollywood green at the Oscars this year?
This year's Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and several major Irish stars were in attendance. The most notable names representing Ireland who dazzled on the red carpet this year were the following, some of whom you may already be familiar with by now:
1. Katelyn Rose Downey
2. Bríd Ní Neachtain
3. Portia Buckley
4. Colin Farrell
5. Brid Brennan
Others included Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (aka Mo Chara), Naoise Ó Caireallain (aka Móglaí Bap, and J.J. Ó Dochartaigh (aka DJ Próvaí), and Michael Fassbender.
Some of these stars were more visible than others, and they used the occasion to further strengthen their brands and raise their global profiles to larger audiences.
Many were seen wearing designer clothes, and some were seen giving interviews on the red carpet. Others were only spotted at parties before and after the Academy Awards main event.
Events like this give actors, actresses, and other individuals involved in the entertainment industry significant exposure, and it often helps grow their fan base.
What do people mean when they say Irish charm?
The Irish are well-liked across the globe and are known for their unique charm, which typically refers to their cultural heritage, creativity and spirit. Irish charm also includes music, folklore, and symbols that typically represent good luck and fortune.
For example, if you sign up to any of the top Irish sites at Casinos.com to play feature-rich online slots and classic table & card games from award-winning software providers, you will typically find hundreds of Irish-themed games.
These games usually have engaging and immersive storylines based on Irish folklore/fairy tales and likeable characters, such as fairies, leprechauns and other mythical Irish creatures. The term' luck of the Irish' is said to derive from Celtic mythology and legends about magical entities or beings that bring good luck or grand bad fortune.
The symbols and iconography often found in games found on today's best Irish iGaming sites often include rainbows, shamrocks, horseshoes, Claddagh rings, and Celtic knots.
Who were the biggest 2025 Oscar winners?
Several well-known celebrities won awards this year, and some lesser-known celebrities also picked up an award. For example, the Best Picture award went to a movie called Anora (produced by Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker), and the Best Directing award went to Sean Baker (Anora).
Adrien Brody ended up scooping the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for his work as László Tóth in a movie called The Brutalist. The Best Actress in a Leading Role award went to Mikey Madison, who also starred in this same award-winning movie, playing Anora "Ani" Mikheeva.
Kieran Culkin won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award for his portrayal of Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain, and Zoe Saldana, who played Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award.
Sean Baker also won the Best Writing (Original Screenplay) award for Anora, and Conclave's Peter Straughn won the Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) award. His work was based on the Robert Harris novel.
A movie called I'm Still Here won the Best International Feature Film award, and the Best Animated Feature Film award went to Flow. The Best Documentary Short Film award went to The Only Girl in the Orchestra, and the Best Documentary Feature Film award went to No Other Land.
Some of the other top categories were Best Live Action Short Film (I'm Not a Robot), Best Animated Short Film (In the Shadow of the Cypress), Best Music [original score] (The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg), and Best Music [original song] (El Mal from Emilia Perez).
Which other notable Irish actors have also been seen at the Oscars or at other prestigious film and television awards ceremonies?
Some of the other most notable Irish actors and actresses who have also been seen on the red carpets at the Academy Awards or at various other prestigious film and television awards ceremonies in recent years are Saoirse Ronan, Kerry Condon, Peter Claffey, Thaddea Graham, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, Ruth Bradley, Ruth Kearney, Robert Sheehan, and Liam Neeson, to name a few.
Final thoughts
Cillian Murphy is quite possibly the most notable Irish actor to appear at the Oscars. He won the Best Actor award at the 2024 Academy Awards for his convincing portrayal of Jewish American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 movie Oppenheimer.
Over the coming years, we will likely see more home-grown Irish talent appearing in major movies and scooping highly coveted awards as the Irish film industry receives plenty of investment and backing from the Irish government.