Irish Oscar nominees fly off to raise the green flag while ‘enjoying the view from the roller coaster’.

The red carpet was rolled out at Dublin Airport this morning as our gang of Oscar nominees prepared to fly the green flag at the 95th Academy Awards this Sunday.

With an impressive 14 nominations for Irish candidates, this is a historic year for our homegrown talent as they prepare to take on some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Among the youngest on Aer Lingus’ afternoon flight to LA was talented An Cailín Ciúin star Catherine Clinch, 13, who had the perfect reason to devote a week’s worth to the school.

“I’m really excited, I’m nervous too, but I’m really happy and grateful to be able to go over,” she told independent.ie.

“It was incredible, the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I enjoyed the filming process so much and met so many amazing people along the way.”

She was accompanied by her older sister Anna, 17, who she described as “such a help and so supportive throughout this whole time”.

The talented young woman, who has already started a new project, was also excited to see her dress in LA for the first time, a blue creation by Galway-based designer Caterina Coyne.

There with her proud parents Tom and her mother Méav Ni Mhaolchatha, an acclaimed musician who was once with Celtic Woman and said they “never dreamed it would be possible”.

“It doesn’t feel real in a way. I suppose it’s just a matter of taking each step as it comes and enjoying the view from the coaster, as they say,” Méav said.

The couple An CailIn Ciúin, the writer/director Colm Bairéad and his producer Cleona Ní Chrualaoi, nominated for Best International Feature Film, also made the journey.

The couple, who left children Rían, 4, and Diolun, 6, with the family for a week, say they are still pinching each other over the film’s success.

Young Rían even played the role of Cait’s younger brother in the Irish language film.

“He’s the little infant who usually cries in the background,” joked Colm.

“It was an amazing adventure to be together as a married couple. We’ve taken every step of this journey together, from the beginning of the film to now, and now we’re about to walk the Oscars red carpet. It was incredible, something we will never forget.”

Producer Cleona said it was “amazing” that the Oscars took place in the middle of Seachtain na Gaeilge and it was also the first time an Irish-language feature film had been nominated at the event.

“We are really proud. We talk about it ourselves, wow it’s amazing that in some way it’s helping to preserve and raise awareness of the language and make it a part of our mainstream culture. Having people like Paul Mescal and Brendan Gleeson speak on the red carpet just makes the language stand out,” she said.

“When Irish people see an Irish language film being so lovingly embraced around the world, there is a real sense of national pride and ‘This is us, this is our language and a part of us.'”

Arts Secretary Catherine Martin, who is also flying to LA this week, said it was “amazing” to have 14 nominations and proved how the country is way above its weight in the screen sector.

She will use the trip to meet with representatives from some of Hollywood’s biggest studios while helping to promote Ireland as an attractive filming destination.

“This is so important for our industry. I’m going to travel over and connect and build on that relationship between LA, the entertainment capital, with film studios and production companies,” she said.

“The people I meet with, from Disney, Sony and Marvel, remind them of the Government’s absolute commitment to the screen industry here in Ireland.”

Irish Oscar nominees fly off to raise the green flag while ‘enjoying the view from the roller coaster’.

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