All eyes are currently on Cillian Murphy who has taken home a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award for his outstanding performance in Oppenheimer. As the Academy Awards draw closer, CBS’s 60 Minutes travelled to Ireland to follow in Murphy’s footsteps and discover the landscapes and vibrant cities that have shaped the actor’s extraordinary career.
In the interview, Murphy shared his love for his homeland, emphasising the profound influence Ireland has had on his life and career. Reflecting on his roots, he remarked, “I’m Irish. That informs everything.”
The much-lauded actor now lives in Dublin but it is Cork, Murphy’s hometown, that emerges as a focal point in this cultural odyssey. The picturesque destination that has played a significant role in shaping the actor’s identity and was where he launched his stage career. The 60 Minutes interview featured a look inside one of the city’s performance venues, the Triskel, where Murphy rehearsed for stage productions including Enda Walsh’s 1990’s play, Disco Pigs. As Murphy expressed during the CBS interview, “The place you come from is always a part of who you are.”
Cillian Murphy is known for his love of music and as a teenager he had a band that was offered a record deal but when things didn’t work out he turned his attention to acting. However, Murphy didn’t leave his love of music behind and went on to co-found the Sounds from a Safe Harbour a biennial festival of music, dance, art, theatre and conversation, which takes place in Cork city.
In an interview with Condé Nast Traveller about his travel inspiration, Cillian said that West Kerry on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is the place in the world that makes him feel happiest. “I’ve been going since I was a small boy; my parents took me there and I take my kids now. I love going out to the Blasket Islands, which haven’t been populated since the 1950s. No shops, no electricity, nothing, just seals on the beach. It makes you feel pure, cleans out your soul, cleans out the cobwebs from your brain.”
In recent years, the actor has been seen on stage at one of Ireland’s best-loved festivals, the Galway International Arts Festival, once again working with Enda Walsh in plays Ballyturk and Misterman. The Festival takes place against the bustling backdrop of this west of Ireland city and as he says in his Condé Nast interview, “A pint of Guinness on a sunny day in Galway is one of the greatest things in the world.” Murphy has recently collaborated once again with Walsh in the movie Small Things Like These, filmed in County Wexford and adapted by Walsh from a novel by Irish writer Claire Keegan.
As Cillian Murphy’s BAFTA triumph continues a successful award season, global travellers can embark on a journey through the actor’s roots, discovering the charm, history, and hospitality that make Ireland an unforgettable destination.
