‘He’d be here for a week with the celebrations’ – Cork to roll out red carpet to honour Cillian Murphy after his Oscar win

The Cork actor made history on Sunday night by becoming the first Irish-born star to win the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards.

According to one former teacher: “The world is his oyster now.”

Cork City Council will consider hosting a civic reception to mark the actor’s return to his native city.

There have also been calls for a city centre parade to pay tribute to the star.

While granting the Freedom of Cork – the city’s highest honour – is at the sole bequest of the serving lord mayor, there have been calls within the council for the honour to be given to Murphy to recognise the role he has played as a cultural and artistic ambassador for his native city.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said yesterday was a very proud day for Cork and Ireland.

Mr Martin, when he served as education minister, worked with Murphy’s father, Brendan, who was employed by the Department of Education as a schools inspector.

“Ireland, as a nation, rejoices on this richly-deserved Oscar award for Cillian,” Mr Martin said.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Kieran McCarthy, hailed the actor as “an inspiration” and said the city was immensely proud of both him and his achievements.

Councillor Mick Finn, who assisted with the hurling segment of the 2006 film The Wind That Shakes The Barley, said no actor was more deserving than Murphy.

“Cillian was just emerging as a star back then, but he was brilliant. We met him after (filming) in Tom Barry’s pub for a pint and, as the Lord Mayor said, he was a very down-to-earth, humble fella who had time for others,” Mr Finn said.

Presentation Brothers College principal David Barry said it was an enormously proud day for Murphy’s alma mater.

His old school is extending an invitation to the actor to visit – and to bring the golden statuette along.

The school has a portrait of Murphy, made by art students, in one of its hallways that depicts him in his role as Tommy Shelby in hit show Peaky Blinders.

“We would be delighted if he could make the time,” Mr Barry said of the invite.

Murphy also attended St Anthony’s national school in Ballinlough, where principal Sean Lyons said the excitement was palpable over the Oscar win.

The principal had a double reason to be delighted by the actor’s Academy Award triumph, as he was a former classmate of Murphy’s in the 1980s.

“If Cillian came here to St Anthony’s, he would be here for a week with the celebrations,” he said.

“Cillian is proof to everyone that if you dream, dream big and sometimes those dreams come true.

“In a world where we need role models, Cillian is a remarkable role model.”

The actor was born in Douglas on Cork’s southside in May 1976 and was raised in Ballintemple, alongside his younger siblings, Paidí, Síle and Orla. His mother, Mary, was a French teacher.

Murphy’s wife, Yvonne, is from Kilkenny and the couple have two children, Malachy (18) and Aran (16). The family have been based in Dublin since 2015.

Poet and novelist William Wall, who taught English to the actor in Presentation Brothers College in the 1990s, said he wrote to his former student after the Golden Globes to express his delight at his win for Oppenheimer.

“I told him he is a chameleon – he can enter the soul of whatever character he is portraying,” Mr Wall said.