Séamas O'Reilly: Almost all of our homegrown stars ship their Lyons Tea to London and LA

Whatever way you slice it, this was a banner week for Irish film and something we should be truly proud of

Séamas O'Reilly. Picture: Orfhlaith Whelan

It’s been a delight to speak to people here in England this week, what with our clear dominance in the movie business. We’re being classy about it, of course. “Your guys will come good, eventually”, we say as our English friends dab their eyes with their Emma Thompson flags, their Eddie Redmayne scarves lying crumpled in dejection. “Better luck next time” we say, discretely popping champagne bottles and quaffing black pudding Hors D’oeuvres.

Yes, a full quarter of all the acting nominations at this year’s Oscars went to Irish actors, which as Brian Lloyd has commented, is particularly striking given the fact that it’s next to impossible to live and work as an artist in the country. Culture Minister Catherine Martin hailed the success as “a testament to the talent here in Ireland” and, in fairness, it’s very hard to imagine what else she could have said, but when it comes to most of those actors, one might indeed quibble with her definition of the terms “here” and “in Ireland”.