My cousin Jessie, winner of the Oscar for Best Actress

A family in Westmeath were among those with a special reason to celebrate when Jessie Buckley made history on Sunday night as she became the first Irish woman to win the Best Actress Oscar.

The star from Hamnet has had an incredible awards season – and familial links in Westmeath and Meath.

Marguerite Buckley of Buckley and Co Solicitors, is a cousin of the actress, and she and the rest of the family are over the moon at Jessie’s success.

“It’s amazing,” said Marguerite on Monday. “It’s brilliant.”

While Marguerite makes clear she and Jessie have never had the chance to meet, as there is an age gap between them, she has followed her career since Jessie was 18.

“My grandfather, and her great-grandfather were brothers. I have first cousins who are quite close with her.

“I have one first cousin who’s been very close with Jessie’s mother for years and years.

“So, she’s been there all the way, even going back to when she was going to be on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s talent show.

“She went to the UK for that when she was only 17 or 18, and that’s when I heard of her.

“It was a competition only open to UK numbers and my first cousin had got on to me to contact our family in the North so we could all vote for Jessie. She came second in that competition.”

From the way she describes Jessie, Marguerite has great admiration for her cousin. “She’s a huge risk taker, she has huge ambition and that’s inspiring for everybody.”

Seeing Jessie succeed also strikes a chord for Marguerite as it reminds her of their ancestors. Jessie’s great grandfather was the eldest in his family, and he went to America to find his fortune.

Marguerite’s grandfather, who was the youngest in his family, told her the story of his elder brother returning to Ireland after making enough money and opening up the hotel in Killarney, where Marguerite and Jessie are from.

“That’s like a success story,” said Marguerite. “And then all those years later, his great granddaughter is winning an Oscar.”

Jessie has other connections to the midlands. Marguerite is originally from Killarney and has been living in Mullingar for 30 years, and Jessie’s mother is from Meath.

“We’re all so happy for her and we’re all delighted, and our family WhatsApp group was so busy. I got a call at five in the morning.”

She is also happy to see Jessie’s work recognised. “It’s hard work. It’s great to look at her in the Chanel dress and all the beautiful hair and makeup and just say ‘oh this is all so glamorous’ but I don’t think it is that glamorous.

“They were telling me about the whole promotion of the film and how it goes on longer than the filming, city to city, and she takes her daughter with her. You have to smile and be in the best form and it’s all interviews.

“I think that while it’s glamorous, it’s very hard work.”

Jessie has won every award she was nominated for.

As Marguerite concluded the chat she said: “I’m sure it will be the first of many. She’ll have her pick.

“And I’m sure she was getting all the good scripts and good movies, but she’ll have even more now she’s so in demand.”