Fionnula Flanagan Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the “Irish Oscars”
Legendary Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) in Dublin, on February 11. The award, presented by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, was given in recognition of her accomplished and varied career as an actor, which spans over 50 years and continues to thrive. Trained at Dublin’s Abbey Theater, Flanagan first gained international note for her stage work, particularly her interpretation of Joyce’s Molly Bloom, which she honed to a fine art when she wrote and starred in James Joyce’s Women. She went on to the world of film, starring in such gems as Some Mother’s Son, The Others, and Waking Ned Devine. In television, her résumé has included a diverse range of productions, including Star Trek, Lost and Brotherhood.
President Higgins called Flanagan “a true master of her craft.” Flanagan said that it had been “a long, long journey, but a great one,” and reminisced about her childhood in Dublin. The icing on the cake: Flanagan won a second award, snagging the IFTA for best supporting actress, for her role as Brendan Gleeson’s ailing mother in the 2011 hit The Guard.
Watch Flanagan’s full acceptance speech here:
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