John Crowley (director), Saoirse Ronan and Niamh Devereux (Enniscorthy Echo) pictured at the Brooklyn Thank You Reception in Enniscorthy Castle. Pic: John Walsh

THEY MAY be big names in the acting world, but at Enniscorthy Castle on Wednesday, Saoirse Ronan and Domhnall Gleeson almost blended in with the vast crowd.

Saoirse, dressed in a woolly ensemble, with minimal make-up and her hair scraped back, clutched a pint of Heineken and nibbled at finger food as she chatted to those who approached her with ease.

Meanwhile, Domhnall appeared a little shyer, but equally as friendly, as he posed for countless photographs dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, in between sipping on his Guinness.

The atmosphere was relaxed, and the down-to-earth stars had no problem speaking about their experience filming Brookyn in Enniscorthy; in fact they seemed more than happy to.

“It’s been brilliant,” beamed Oscar-nominee Saoirse to The Echo. “I actually grew up in Carlow so I used to come down here quite a bit when I was younger. I remember the cinema and Burgermac; in Carlow we only had two screens so when I was younger we would come to Enniscorthy for a day out.

“It’s a bit weird that Burgermac is still here and the cinema isn’t!”

She added that shooting in Enniscorthy, where Colm Toibin’s novel Brooklyn is set, “was the most authentic experience” that the cast and crew could have had: “It was very exciting for us as we were filming in the place that the story was centred on. The town was so welcoming and really helped us out, and having so many local extras was great.

“Someone was telling me earlier that the dance hall we shot in, the Athenaeum, was where a lot of locals met their husbands and wives. For me, that brought a real romantic element to the whole thing and I realised that this is very nostalgic for a lot of people.”

Saoirse said that she was a fan of the book by local writer Toibin before taking on the role of main character Eilis (renamed Nora in the cinema adaptation). When asked what drew her to the story, about a young woman who leaves Enniscorthy for New York, she commented:

“First of all, it’s an amazing story about Ireland and home and how when you leave home, there is a certain amount of time when you’re lost before you settle into a new place and it’s very hard. Even if you want to get out of wherever you come from for a while, it’s very hard to take your heart with you.”

Full interview, plus interview with Domhnall Gleeson, in this week’s Echo – along with further Brooklyn coverage.