Saoirse Ronan on the set of Brooklyn. Pic: Christy Farrell

ENNISCORTHY WAS gripped by film fever yesterday (Monday), as the shooting of multimillion-euro film Brooklyn got underway at Castle Street.

Crowds gathered throughout the day to watch Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan film scenes of the movie, a big screen adaptation of Parnell Avenue resident Colm Tóibin’s celebrated 2009 novel.

The street, which was transformed into a vintage 1950s style for the movie, was cordoned off by Sunset Films crewmembers, who reminded people to stay within the vantage point and urged them to not take flash photographs.

But that didn’t stop onlookers whipping out their mobile phones to excitedly take a quick snap of Carlow actress Ronan, who received an Oscar nomination for her role in Atonement in 2007, aged just 13.

Saoirse in action. Pic: John Walsh

It took a moment for some to recognise the 19-year-old starlet – dressed in a long blue skirt, white cardigan, small black heels, with minimal make-up and waved dark brown hair pinned back in keeping with the film’s 50’s theme, her look was completely transformed.

But when the eagle-eyed crowd noted that the crew were paying her special attention, such as wrapping a warm black coat around her between the cameras rolling and touching up her hair and make-up, it didn’t take long to realise that she wasn’t just one of the local extras.

Extra Bill Jordan from Kiltealy is pictured with the newspaper of the day on the set of Brooklyn. Pic: Christy Farrell

Full movie coverage by Niamh Devereux in this week’s Echo.