Irish actress Jessie Buckley is receiving widespread praise after her acceptance speech at the 2026 Academy Awards, where she won Best Actress on March 15 for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet.” The Ursuline convent school in Thurles, County Tipperary, where Buckley first developed her acting skills, expressed pride in their former student following the ceremony.
Buckley’s speech included a strong pro-life and pro-family message. She dedicated her award to mothers everywhere, saying, “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.” Addressing her husband Fred from the stage, 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!”
The actress also spoke about becoming a mother herself in 2025 and dedicated the award to her eight-month-old daughter Isla: “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.
The Ursuline Secondary School posted on Facebook that it was “immensely proud” of Buckley’s achievement. The post read: “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 school community added that Buckley’s journey represents values such as excellence, dedication, creativity and humility.
Music teacher Joan Butler recalled seeing Buckley’s talent early on during school musicals at Ursuline convent. Butler said: “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.”
The Ursuline convent has been part of Thurles since opening in 1787 during a period when Catholic education faced severe restrictions under penal laws. The school’s recognition of Buckley’s success highlights its ongoing commitment to nurturing talent despite historical challenges.
