A small but iconic Irish town that raised two world-famous actors.
Ireland is a small country with a reputation for green landscapes, friendly folks, and now more than ever, an indomitable film scene and award-winning talent to go with it.
Ireland’s most famous faces are scattered from the tippity top of the country, like Sean McGinley in Donegal, all the way down to Cillian Murphy in Cork and everywhere in between.
However, two iconic Irish actors with three Oscar nominations and one win between them were raised in the very same Irish town.
Killarney, County Kerry – the place that raised two Oscar nominees
Yes, Killarney in “The Kingdom” County Kerry is where Michael Fassbender and Jessie Buckley, both Oscar-nominated, one winning, actors were raised.
Despite its reputation as one of Ireland’s most attractive places to visit, with an abundance of natural beauty and excellent pubs, it’s actually a relatively small, walkable hub. You can reach one end of Killarney town centre from the other in around 20 to 25 minutes walking.
Killarney is famed for its national park, which welcomes around 1.5 million visitors annually. There’s so much to see and do in Killarney, including Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, and so much more.
You could easily spend a large chunk of your time in Ireland in Killarney and the surrounding area.
The town centre is a bustle with excellent pubs boasting classic Irish trad music, tasty eateries, and great cafes to grab a coffee for your meander around the town. This iconic Irish town raised two of Ireland’s biggest on-screen stars.
Michael Fassbender – raised in Killarney
Originally born in Heidelberg, West Germany, Michael Fassbender and his family moved to Killarney when he was just two years old.
Fassbender’s mother was originally from Larne, County Antrim, while his father comes from Germany. He stayed here until the age of 19, when he moved to London to study at the Drama Centre London.
His first on-screen role was in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s war television drama Band of Brothers (2001).
However, some of his most iconic portrayals include Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Shame (2011), but his two Oscar nominations were awarded for his brutal plantation owner Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave (2013), and his portrayal of Steve Jobs in the 2015 movie of the same name.
Jessie Buckley – supporters galore in Killarney
Jessie Buckley was born and raised in Killarney, but went to secondary school in Thurles, County Tipperary.
After appearing on a talent-show theme TV series called I’d Do Anything, she attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in January 2013.
That same year, Buckley got her first television role, appearing in an episode of the British detective series Endeavour. Her breakthrough role, however, was the role of Marya Bolkonskaya in the BBC’s 2016 dramatisation of War and Peace.
Killarney holds a special place in Jessie Buckley’s heart, and when she was nominated for and won the Oscar for her starring role in Hamnet (2025), she had the backing of the entire town. While she now calls London home, Killarney is her favourite place back home in Ireland.
