Tipperary secondary school pays homage to former pupil following Oscar win

The Ursuline Secondary School shared a touching message to Jessie Buckley, following her best actress win at the Academy Awards last Sunday night.

The former Ursuline student made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win the Oscar for best actress.

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Buckley, a Kerry native who studied in Thurles, laid the foundations for her career during her time in the school, partaking in many of the school’s musical productions.

They said: “The Ursuline Secondary School is immensely proud to congratulate past pupil Jessie Buckley on her Oscar win for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards. The tender, intuitive and resilient portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in ‘Hamnet’ that has brought her this accolade marks an extraordinary high point in what has been a stunning career to date. Following Jessie’s remarkable career trajectory has filled us with great pride and her work has brought honour to our school community through her remarkable passion, talent and commitment to her craft.

“From our school stage, and onto the world stage, Jessie’s success is testament to her exceptional ability and hard work. She has always been, and is now more than ever, an inspiration to all those associated with our school.

“Jessie’s journey represents all of the values we cherish here in the Ursuline; excellence, dedication, creativity and humility. This win also exemplifies the potential we believe is in every one of our students. When Jessie visited us in 2019, to speak to the entire school, she told the students that as young girls they should never be afraid of their own potential, and reminded them that they are more powerful than they can even begin to imagine. Jessie remains a shining example of this, and of what can be achieved with talent and dedication.

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“We extend our warmest congratulations to Jessie, her family, and all who have supported her throughout her career. The entire Ursuline community celebrates this momentous achievement with her and we consider ourselves privileged to have been part of her journey.

“Earlier on Oscars night, there was fabulous success too for 'F1: The Movie', starring past pupil, Kerry Condon. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound. Kerry, an Oscar nominee herself in 2023, delivered her own outstanding performance in this movie. We congratulate her and the entire production team on their success also.”