Ever since she burst onto the scene in films such as The Lovely Bones and Atonement, Saoirse Ronan has been a name to watch. Here are some facts about the 30-year-old Irish-American actor you may not know.
Things you didn’t know about Saoirse Ronan
- ‘Saoirse’ is a traditional Irish name meaning ‘freedom’ or ‘liberty’. Pronounced ‘Seersha’ or ‘Sirsha’, it is now gaining popularity outside Ireland, alongside other traditional Irish monikers such as Neve, Ciara, Maeve and Siobhan.
- She was just 13 and a big-screen newcomer when she was nominated for her first Academy Award. As the troublesome younger sister of Keira Knightley, she shone in Atonement, alongside Knightley, James McAvoy and Vanessa Redgrave. She has now notched up four Oscar nominations, including for Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women.
- Ronan supports a range of causes and is active in charity work. One of the charities she has publicly supported for years is the ISPCC – the Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children. She has also teamed up with the Irish food board, Bord Bia to promote Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme. This brought together Ireland’s farmers and food manufacturers with the common goal of sustainable food production. “This land belongs not to us, but to the ones who come after. There is much more to be done – we need to embark on a journey with sustainability as its destination,” says this environmentally-minded actor.
- She treasures the New Zealand stamp in her passport – director Peter Jackson filmed some of the scenes for The Lovely Bones in Wairarapa. Ronan also attended the New Zealand premiere of the film at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington in 2009.
- Her good mate, songwriter Ed Sheeran has a tattoo of Ronan’s writing on his arm, done during the film clip of his song Galway Girl, in which Ronan appears.
Learn more about Saoirse Ronan in the Christmas issue of MiNDFOOD, on sale now. Pick up your copy here.
