‘This has all been a dream’ – Saoirse Ronan reacts to Oscar nomination

Brooklyn, the film produced by New Zealand-born Finola Dwyer, has scored three Academy Award nominations.

Following today’s Osacr nominations, where John Crowley’s Brooklyn received 3 nominations, leading actress Saoirse Ronan has commented on her nomination and those for the film and screenwriter Nick Hornby. To see how the film has been embraced has been heartwarming.

The “Room” director said he would be watching the nominations from “under his duvet”.

Earlier today, The Metro included Saoirse Ronan and Michael Fassbender in a list of Brits nominated, although they have since been deleted.

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys congratulated our nominees for the 88th Academy Awards which are to be held in Hollywood on February 28.

“This year’s Oscars’ short-list is a remarkable testimony of the vitality and diversity of the talent available to the Irish film industry”, he said. Abrahamson, whose other movies include Adam & Paul and Garage, is also shortlisted for best director.

Elsewhere Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan told RTE it was ” a huge honour and to be recognised for a second time… it’s unreal.

Donoghue welcomed the four nominations for the film, adding “hard to type while shaking”. Instead, the best actress nominee is spending the day outfitting her NYC apartment ahead of her Broadway debut in The Crucible, which starts rehearsals on January 25 (and opens April 7).

The agency’s early support for “Room” allowed Guiney’s Element Pictures to secure the much sought-after rights to Emma Donoghue’s award-winning novel of the same name.

The Lenny Abrahamson-directed film is also a contender for a Best Picture nod, while the Paddy Breathnach-directed Viva, which was filmed in Cuba, could be among the Best Foreign Film nominees. “I hope now that the next Government has the vision to really invest in this sector as we could have a world class film TV and animation industry in this country and it’s something we do so well”, he said.

James Hickey, Chief Executive Bord Scannán hÉireann/the Irish Film Board said: “What a triumph for Irish film”.

With a clatter of nominations confirmed, it is a moment to savour for the Irish Film industry.