The Kerry International Film Festival has made a choice that feels both inevitable and inspired, selecting Fiona Shaw as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Maureen O’Hara Award. In an era where recognition of women’s contributions to film and television has become increasingly vital, Shaw’s selection represents more than just another accolade – it’s a celebration of artistic fearlessness that spans decades and mediums.Shaw’s recent trajectory reads like a masterclass in career reinvention. While many actors of her generation might have settled into comfortable patterns, she has instead embraced increasingly complex and challenging roles that have redefined her public persona. Her electrifying performance as Carolyn Martens in KILLING EVE transformed her from a respected character actress into a household name, earning her a BAFTA and multiple Emmy nominations. The role showcased Shaw’s ability to embody calculated menace while maintaining an almost magnetic watchability – a performance that felt both shocking and inevitable from an actor of her caliber.
The momentum from KILLING EVE propelled Shaw into equally compelling territory. Her scene-stealing turn as the Hot Priest’s superior in FLEABAG demonstrated her gift for finding the human core within seemingly rigid characters, earning her another Emmy nomination and proving her comedic timing remains razor-sharp. More recently, her role in ANDOR brought her into the Star Wars universe, where she commanded the screen with the same intensity that has defined her career, garnering both BAFTA and Critics Choice Super Award nominations.This recent television success has coincided with an equally impressive film resurgence. Shaw’s performance in Kate Winslet’s AMMONITE in 2020 reminded audiences of her ability to convey complex emotional landscapes with minimal dialogue, while her upcoming roles in HOT MILK and PARK AVENUE suggest an artist still pushing boundaries well into her career.
These projects represent Shaw’s continued commitment to challenging material that refuses to pigeonhole her into any single category.What makes Shaw’s recent work particularly compelling is how it builds upon rather than abandons her theatrical foundation. The same fearless approach that earned her two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actress and a Tony nomination for MEDEA now informs her screen work with a depth that few actors can match. Her ability to transition seamlessly between the intimacy required for television and the bold strokes necessary for film speaks to an artist who has never stopped evolving.
Shaw’s own words about receiving the award reveal the thoughtfulness that has always characterized her approach to her craft. Her tribute to Maureen O’Hara – praising her defiance of studio limitations and one-dimensional roles – could easily serve as a description of Shaw’s own career philosophy. Like O’Hara, Shaw has consistently chosen complexity over comfort, challenge over convention.The timing of this recognition feels particularly significant. As the entertainment industry continues to grapple with questions of representation and opportunity, Shaw’s recent work serves as a powerful reminder that age and experience can be assets rather than limitations. Her performances in KILLING EVE and FLEABAG have introduced her to entirely new audiences while her continued film work demonstrates an artist still hungry for new challenges.
When the Kerry International Film Festival celebrates Shaw at its 26th edition this October, they will be honoring not just a distinguished career but an ongoing artistic journey that shows no signs of slowing down. In a landscape where many actors peak early and struggle to maintain relevance, Shaw has instead found her most compelling work in recent years, proving that true artistic commitment knows no expiration date.The Maureen O’Hara Award, established in 2008 as one of the earliest accolades dedicated specifically to women in film and television, has found its perfect 2025 recipient. Shaw joins a lineage of honorees that includes inaugural winner Brenda Fricker, but her selection feels particularly resonant given how her recent work has redefined what it means to be a woman of a certain age in contemporary entertainment.As Shaw noted in her acceptance, “Film needs women just as the world needs women – all kinds.” Her recent career serves as living proof of this philosophy, demonstrating that when given the opportunity, experienced female performers can deliver work that is both commercially successful and artistically uncompromising.
The Kerry International Film Festival’s choice to honor Shaw represents not just recognition of past achievements but celebration of an artist who continues to surprise, challenge, and inspire.
Liam Neeson is BACK in action mode and he`s taking on more than just the ice. ❄️
In ICE ROAD: VENGEANCE, the stakes are personal, and the action is relentless. Get ready for an epic ride!
More at irishfilmtv.com!
🐎💔 The truth behind Katie Simpson`s death will shock you!
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More via link in bio!
LIVE AID AT 40: WHEN ROCK N ROLL TOOK ON THE WORLD is now streaming on the @bbciplayer.
One billion people watched, $127 million raised and two Dublin lads who understood hunger turned celebrity into salvation.
Watch now via link in bio!
🔥 Andrew Scott`s unstoppable streak continues!
Fresh off his haunting performance in ALL OF US STRANGERS, our favorite Irish talent is joining Netflix`s star-studded TOO MUCH alongside Kit Harington, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Saunders.
From hot priest to heartbreaking leading man, Scott proves once again why he`s one of the most magnetic actors of his generation. TOO MUCH drops July 10th - and we`re absolutely here for it! 💫
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬✨ LEGEND ALERT! Fiona Shaw is receiving the 2025 Maureen O`Hara Award at @kerryintfilmfest!
From terrorizing Harry Potter as Aunt Petunia to serving LOOKS and kills in KILLING EVE, Shaw has been serving masterclass performances for decades. Her recent work in FLEABAG and ANDOR proves she`s still the queen of stealing every scene she enters 👑
"Film needs women just as the world needs women - all kinds" - Fiona Shaw speaking FACTS 💯
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬🔥 When Irish rap meets global politics - @kneecap32 isn`t backing down!
From Coachella controversy to terror charges, this Irish-language trio has had one hell of a year...and a lot to say about it.
More via link in bio.
From playing every character in VANYA to breaking hearts in ALL OF US STRANGERS – Andrew Scott is proving there`s no role too challenging for Ireland`s most versatile talent 🎭
In a new @cultured_mag interview, Scott chats with his KNIVES OUT co-star Josh O`Connor!
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Fresh off his OPPENHEIMER triumph, Murphy`s back with STEVE, a powerful drama about a headteacher fighting to save his reform school while battling his own demons.
We can`t wait to see Murphy disappear into another unforgettable role 🔥
More at irishfilmtv.com.
September theaters ➡️ October Netflix
Cork`s own Éanna Hardwicke is about to step into the boots of @officialkeane16 for SAIPAN - and the first trailer has us HOOKED!
From LAKELANDS to THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT, this BAFTA-nominated powerhouse has been building toward this moment.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Making Ireland proud on Hollywood`s biggest stage 🇮🇪✨
Kerry Condon is breaking barriers as the Irish female lead in F1 - and doing it with her mam`s Claddagh ring and that unmistakable Thurles accent intact 💍
Read more via link in bio!
🎭 From LOVE/HATE to the West End!
IFTA winner Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is taking on Conor McPherson`s haunting masterpiece THE WEIR alongside Brendan Gleeson, Owen McDonnell, and Kate Phillips.
Dublin`s 3Olympia Theatre (Aug 8-Sep 6) ➡️ London`s Harold Pinter Theatre (Sep 12-Dec 6)
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 The incredibly talented Paul Mescal is starring in the upcoming historical romance, THE HISTORY OF SOUND, hitting theatres Sep 12th!
This film made BIG waves at Cannes, and early reviews are calling it some of Mescal`s best work yet.
More via link in bio!
🏎️ From Thurles to the Formula 1 fast lane!
Kerry Condon is earning rave reviews for her gutsy performance in F1 THE MOVIE, proving Irish talent (and accents) belong in the Summer`s biggest blockbusters!
F1 THE MOVIE hits theaters Jun 27 🎬
Liam Neeson, bringing his particular set of skills to comedy! 🤣
Get ready to see the Irish legend like never before in the new NAKED GUN, hitting theaters August 1st.
He`s nervous, Pamela Anderson`s "madly in love" with him, and we`re just here for the laughs!
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🌟 Ruth Negga doesn`t just act – she transforms.
From her Emmy-worthy intensity in PRESUMED INNOCENT to her Golden Globe-nominated brilliance in PASSING, this Irish powerhouse continues to redefine what it means to inhabit a character completely.
Watch IN PROCESSS for Negga`s take on craft and the pursuit of creation!
