St. Patrick’s Day celebration twist: Catholic Irish actress brings pro-life message to Oscars stage

DUBLIN (OSV News) — On March 17, as the world’s 80 million people of Irish descent celebrate Ireland’s national patron St. Patrick — a Briton who brought Christianity to the island in 432 — the Irish convent school that gave the world Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley is brimming with pride.

Fresh from the glitzy Hollywood ceremony, Catholic Jessie Buckley is being praised across social media for her acceptance speech with an uncompromising pro-life and pro-family message, reassuring young women that they can prioritize both their career and their family.

It was at the Ursuline convent in Thurles, in Tipperary County where Buckley first showed a flair for acting, and the community there said the former student has “filled us with great pride.”

She won the best actress award at the 2026 Academy Awards March 15 for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet.” Speaking while clutching the coveted Oscar statuette, Buckley recalled that the ceremony coincided with Mother’s Day in her native Ireland.

“I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart. We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds,” she said.

Referring to her husband, Fred, she said: “I love you, man. I love you. You’re the most incredible dad. You’re my best friend, and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you. I do! I do!”

Buckley became a mother for the first time in 2025 and told the audience — which included dozens of Hollywood A-listers — that she wanted to dedicate the award to her daughter.

“Isla, my little girl who is 8 months, who has absolutely no idea what’s going on and is probably dreaming of milk, but this is kind of a big deal, and I love you and I love being your mom, and I can’t wait to discover life beside you,” Buckley said.

In a Facebook post March 16, the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles said it is “immensely proud to congratulate past pupil Jessie Buckley on her Oscar win for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards.”

“The tender, intuitive and resilient portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in ‘Hamnet’ that brought her this accolade marks an extraordinary high point in what has been a stunning career to date,” the post read.

“Following Jessie’s remarkable career trajectory has filled us with great pride and her work has brought honor to our school community through her remarkable passion, talent and commitment to her craft,” it continued.

“From our school stage, and onto the world stage, Jessie’s success is testament to her exceptional ability and hard work. She has always been, and is now more than ever, an inspiration to all those associated with our school.”

“Jessie’s journey,” the school community added, “represents all of the values we cherish here in the Ursuline — excellence, dedication, creativity and humility. This win also exemplifies the potential we believe is in every one of our students.”

The school recalled with pride a visit that Buckley made in 2019 to address the entire school community.

“She told the students that as young girls they should never be afraid of their own potential, and reminded them that they are more powerful than they can even begin to imagine,” it said. “Jessie remains a shining example of this, and of what can be achieved with talent and dedication.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Jessie, her family, and all who have supported her throughout her career. The entire Ursuline community celebrates this momentous achievement with her and we consider ourselves privileged to have been part of her journey,” the school community added.

It was in the convent school where Buckley first took to the stage and perfected her acting and performing skills. She played three leading roles in the school musicals, Freddy in “Chess,” Adam in “Children of Eden,” and Tony in “West Side Story,” and her star quality was evident even from those earliest roles, according to her former teacher.

Music teacher Joan Butler told a local radio station that she had seen this award coming for Buckley from her Ursuline days.

“I remember, the whole room just stopped, mouths open, watching this rehearsal. And I remember turning to some of the students and going ‘watch her’ — she’s gonna win an Oscar one day,” Butler said.

The Ursuline convent first opened in Thurles in 1787 at a time when Irish Catholics were persecuted under the cruel penal laws, and Catholic education was severely restricted.

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