Jessie Buckley continued her sweep of awards season as she picked up best actress at the Irish Film and Television Academy Awards (Iftas) on Friday night.
The Kerry-born actor, searing as a grieving Agnes Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, was at the Dublin Convention Centre to receive her statuette.
“You stay here with me. I love this man,” she said, grabbing hold of Stephen Rea, who presented the award. “I did my first ever filming job with this man. If there’s ever anybody to teach you about mischief and life it’s this man.”
Buckley, who has been tireless in her campaigning for Hamnet since the film landed to raves at the Telluride Film Festival last August, seemed genuinely delighted to get the home award.
“Growing up in Ireland, the very nature of storytelling, of music, of art, was the source that I grew up from. It was a way of life. It is a way of community,” she said.
Jessie Buckley at the 23rd Irish Film & Television Academy Awards ceremony on Friday night. Photograph: Alan Betson
“It was such a dream to step into the soul of this incredible woman, Agnes, who I really recognised in the women that I grew up around in Ireland – women who have a language on to their own, bodies that are rooted from the ground and a fierce tenderness to love and be loved.”
Buckley ended by paying tribute “to Kerry for reminding me of my own wildness”.
Hamnet had a successful night all round, adding international film, best screenplay, and, for an absent Paul Mescal, best supporting actor to that best actress prize.
The other big winner of the ceremony, which honours domestic films and TV drama as well as the Irish talent working in those two disciplines, was Brendan Canty’s rough-hewn Cork drama Christy.
That film took the prizes for best film, best director, best editing and casting. Christy has been on a roll since winning a major prize at the Berlin International Film Festival last year. “Our film is about community and how community can heal people,” Canty said from the podium. “The centre of the film is the most unbelievable community. The cast. The crew. But one specific place – the Kabin Studio, a place that teaches kids how to make hip-hop in Cork, but actually transforms the lives of so many young people.”
Ciarán Hinds, the hugely experienced Belfast actor, was in the auditorium to receive a much-applauded lifetime achievement award.
Ciarán Hinds, recipient of the lifetime achievement award at the Ifta Awards. Photograph: Alan Betson
Speaking to The Irish Times on the red carpet, he admitted that he maybe had reached the age for such a career honour.
“I don’t know. This is my first one. You don’t know how many you will get,” he said. “I’m 73 years old. You’ve haven’t got long to go. I don’t know who’s measuring the time. But there’s a whole rake of people coming up behind me. So maybe they just want to get me out of the way.”
Also turning out on the red carpet for an entertaining, efficient show was Steve Coogan, nominated for playing Mick McCarthy in Saipan – Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa’s amusing study of the clash between McCarthy and Roy Keane before the 2002 World Cup.
The Manchester-born actor recently secured Irish citizenship. “I didn’t just get my Irish passport to reinforce my sense of dual identity,” he told me. “It was also so I can jump all the queues of Brexiteers lined up and can sail past them. But I’m glad to have been involved in several projects that have explored subjects around Irish culture and Irish history.”
Steve Coogan accepts the best actor award on behalf of Saipan co-star Éanna Hardwicke at the awards. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty
Coogan was beaten to best actor by his co-star Éanna Hardwicke, who played Keane in Saipan. The proud new Irish passport holder accepted on his colleague’s behalf. “I didn’t think it would happen to me,” he said. “And it hasn’t.”
Winners in the TV section included cop show Blue Lights, the black comedy Obituary and Netflix epic House of Guinness.
Kevin McGahern proved, returning for a second time, again a smart and entertaining host.
“Jessie Buckley is here tonight for her absolutely phenomenal performance,” he said. “How did RTÉ get the contact details for every single one of your cousins?”
Barring a huge upset, Buckley will be taking home the corresponding British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) award on Sunday night. Now as short as 1/25 for the Oscar with some bookies, Buckley is, in the best actress category, a stronger favourite than any nominee over the last 20 years.
Full list of winners at the Ifta 2026 awards
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Ciarán Hinds
SCREEN IRELAND – IFTA RISING STAR
Louisa Harland
Film categories
BEST FILM
Christy
DIRECTOR – FILM
Brendan Canty – Christy
SCRIPT – FILM
Maggie O’Farrell, Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
LEAD ACTOR – FILM
Éanna Hardwicke – Saipan
LEAD ACTRESS – FILM
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
SUPPORTING ACTOR – FILM
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FILM
Kerry Condon – F1
Drama Categories
COIMISIÚN NA MEÁN BEST DRAMA
Blue Lights
DIRECTOR – DRAMA
Rachel Carey – Obituary
SCRIPT – DRAMA
Ailbhe Keogan – Trespasses
LEAD ACTOR – DRAMA
Anthony Boyle – House of Guinness
LEAD ACTRESS – DRAMA
Lola Petticrew – Trespasses
SUPPORTING ACTOR – DRAMA
Chris Walley – The Young Offenders
SUPPORTING ACTRESS – DRAMA
Alison Oliver – Task
International film award categories
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Hamnet
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Other award categories
GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
A Want in Her
Redbreast Unhidden SHORT FILM
Nostalgie
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Retirement Plan
Craft categories
CASTING
Christy – Amy Rowan
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Die My Love – Seamus McGarvey
COSTUME DESIGN
Blue Moon – Consolata Boyle
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Wednesday – Philip Murphy, Neville Gaynor
Sculpted by Aimee MAKEUP & HAIR
Trespasses – Natalie Reid
SOUND
Anemone – Steve Fanagan, Stevie Haywood
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Báite – Eimear Noone, Craig Stuart Garfinkle
EDITING
Christy – Allyn Quigley
VFX
House of Guinness – Eoin O’Sullivan, David Sewell