Articles >> Carlow Nationalist, Feb. 13 2008

THE BRIGHT lights of Hollywood may beckon but home is definitely where the heart is for Carlow sensation Saoirse Ronan.

This weekend Saoirse is looking forward to yet another night on the glittering red carpet as the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) takes place this Sunday, February 17, in the Gaiety Theatre.

Saoirse has been nominated in two categories, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Feature Film, for her outstanding performance as Briony Tallis in Atonement and is also among the hopefuls in the Rising Star category.

The following weekend, however, sees Saoirse taking a starring role at that extraordinary global event which most actors can only dare to dream about, the Oscars.

At the tender age of 13, Saoirse finds herself among the youngest actors ever nominated for a prestigious Academy Award and will join some of the world’s most legendary names for Oscar night on Sunday, February 24.

Amid all the excitement of what she’ll be wearing and her chances of winning, Saoirse has been in constant demand from the world’s media, while holding her own and keeping her feet firmly on the ground despite the huge challenges facing her.

This week the Oscar nominee very patriotically remained loyal to her native Carlow despite the persistent call of Hollywood.

She’s determined to stay grounded in light of her recent success and is convinced the only way to do it is to stay away from the bright lights of Los Angeles.

She told New York gossip column PageSix, “As I said to my mam, I might buy a house there for my work but that’s it. Maybe it’s because I’m Irish but I’d much prefer to live in Carlow rather than Los Angeles. I’m sure it’s a very nice place but my home’s better.”

Saoirse was also nominated for a BAFTA award for her Atonement role but was pipped at the post at the weekend by Tilda Swinton in the movie Michael Clayton.

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