Jessie Buckley dedicates her Oscar to motherhood: 'First Irish woman to win and on Mother’s Day'

Jessie Buckley had a wonderful night. The Irish actress won the best actress award at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 15. In doing so, Buckley, 36, became the first Irish actress to win in this category for her performance in "Hamnet," a reinterpretation of the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, directed by Chloé Zhao.

In her speech to receive the award, the actress paid tribute to motherhood. She celebrated receiving the recognition on Mother's Day in Ireland. She also thanked her husband and the team that made the film.

"First Irish woman to win and on Mother’s Day — it feels like some kind of crazy alchemy that all of these things are colliding on a day like today," Buckley said. "My daughter got her first tooth this week, I woke up with her lying on my chest, snuggling me," she added.

She said exploring motherhood through the mother that is Agnes (the role she plays), "and then to become a one (mother) myself," is a gift. "To receive this recognition of the incredible role mothers play in our world on this day is something I will never, ever forget," she added.

"Historic moment" 

Meanwhile, family, friends and neighbors in the small Irish town of Killarney were brimming with pride Monday after Jessie Buckley, a native of the area, became the first Irishwoman to win a best actress Oscar.

On Monday, store windows on Killarney's main street dawned festooned with giant banners and posters wishing Buckley luck.

An image of the Oscar-winning actress, dressed in green, adorns St. Patrick's Day posters for Tuesday's annual festival, which traditionally kicks off the tourist season in the picturesque town.

Ireland's President Catherine Connolly also sent a congratulatory message to Buckley on Monday, calling the event a "historic moment" for the country.