Music fanatic Cillian Murphy an annual visitor to Connolly’s in Leap

OSCAR winner Cillian Murphy is a regular visitor to Leap, with a connection going back 30 years.

And the late owner of famed music venue Connolly’s of Leap even encouraged the star to ‘stick with the acting’ instead of pursuing a music career!

Cillian played gigs with his band Sons of Mr Green Genes and recorded in Connolly’s in the mid-90s, and returned to hold his 40th birthday party there in 2016, having a strong bond with current owner Sam McNicholl, his mum Eileen, and his late dad Paddy.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Sam is delighted with Cillian’s Oscar win, which he described as an amazing lifetime achievement.

‘Cillian was a very good friend of Paddy’s and when he was in the Sons of Mr Green Genes, he recorded here in the 90s, before Cillian found fame with Disco Pigs,’ said Sam.

‘They played here a few times and we have remained friends ever since. Cillian had his 40th birthday here and he generally comes back every year,’ said Sam.

Sam credits Paddy with encouraging him to ‘stick with the acting’ and it’s a suggestion Cillian seems to have seriously taken on board!

Cillian and his bandmates were, at one point, about to sign a record deal with Acid Jazz at the time, but in the end they declined to sign.

Sam also recalls Cillian ringing Paddy almost 20 years ago to tell him that he was going to be starring in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.

‘They were friends and he attended Paddy’s funeral as well. He loves West Cork and he came to celebrate his 40th here not long after we reopened.’

Sam said that Cillian wouldn’t be dazzled by all the fame associated with working in Hollywood.

‘He is an actor, not a movie star, and takes it all very seriously.

‘You can see he doesn’t do that many interviews, while he’s precious about his private life too. He is very grounded, down to earth and not into the glitz and glamour,’ added Sam.

Another Oscar winner with strong West Cork connections was Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, who picked up their second Oscar for Best Original Song for their track What Was I Made For from the soundtrack to Barbie.

Billie’s family tree can be traced back to The Clubhouse Bar in Lisbealad near Dunmanway. The siblings previously won an Oscar in 2022 for the track No Time To Die from the James Bond film.

Meanwhile, Cork South West FF TD Christopher O’Sullivan – who is Cillian’s third cousin – also congratulated the Ballintemple native on his Oscar win.

‘I’ll definitely be writing to congratulate him. Cork is a county that is immensely proud of him and he has proven himself time and time again to be one of finest actors on the planet. This is deserved recognition of this,’ said Deputy O’Sullivan.

Deputy O’Sullivan said he would also write to lord mayor Kieran McCarthy asking him to consider giving the Freedom of the City to Cillian.

County mayor Cllr Frank O’Flynn also led a vote of congratulations at this week’s meeting of Cork County Council and said Cillian should be honoured with a civic reception.