'We had a cake': Cillian Murphy's parents host family Oscars party in Ballintemple

The parents of Cillian Murphy hosted an Oscar party for their children and grandchildren at their Ballintemple home as their son was named as the winner of the Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. And, yes, there was a sponge cake.

Though, as Cillian’s father, Brendan, told Helen Ní Shé on RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta’s Saol Ó Dheas programme on Tuesday, they went ‘a bit mad’ as well when Cillian’s name was revealed as the winner of the most coveted acting award in cinema.

The retired school inspector said that Cillian’s brother and his wife made a last minute decision to go to Los Angeles for the ceremony.

“Cillian spoke well and I particularly liked what he said at the end of his speech,” said Mr Murphy as he referred to living in the age of Oppenheimer, the man who created the atom bomb, and thanking the peacemakers.

“He said afterwards that he didn’t remember what he had said during the speech.

“I thought he might want to say something and, as it happens, what he said was completely appropriate.” 

Cillian also mentioned his parents, Brendan and Mary, by name. “We were very happy about that,” said Brendan, though he thought, at first, that his son might be referring to another ‘Brendan Murphy’ working on the film.

“When he mentioned my name, it was like the reading of the rolls at school and I was going to say ‘anseo’.

“We had a cake too, it was great to have it at home and we had more than cake,” he said. 

“I like that the cake was mentioned as my wife has a very big role in our family, and not only for baking cakes, I really like that her name was mentioned.” 

When Brendan previously spoke on RTÉ RnaG’s Saol Ó Dheas show, after his son was nominated for the award, he said that they were ‘pleased entirely for him’.

“I don’t like to say we’re proud of him because it’s his achievement, not ours,” he said.

In the interview, Mr Murphy said that while it was fair enough to be proud of children when they were young, when they grew older, it was time for a mutual respect.

“What a teenager is looking for is respect, and you have to let them go at that stage, I think, but the respect has to be there.

“Afterwards, if they achieve something, you can be pleasantly surprised but I think you have to let them go when they’re young and love is very important, and would you believe this, love is as important now when they’re grown up as it is when they’re teenagers.” 

In that context he expressed delight that Cillian included his own two sons when he was thanking people from the stage. 

“He said that he loved them and they’re grown teenagers and I think that’s very important.” 

For those anticipating an early homecoming to Cork, it may not be soon as Brendan said his son planned to take a holiday and looming for his elder son is the Leaving Cert exams in June. 

“They’ll have to look after him for that,” he said.

He anticipated that Cillian and his family would be taking a trip back to the West Kerry Gaeltacht in the Summer.

As for future plans, Brendan thinks that Cillian will not be swayed by money to make blockbusters but rather to produce movies based on stories he’s interested in.

“I don’t hear him talking about blockbusters, I don’t think he has too much interest in them unless they had some other quality,” said Brendan. “Maybe he might make a big enough movie so he could produce smaller scale movies as well.”