Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell invited to visit Cork donkey sanctuary after shout-out to Jenny
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From the hills of Hollywood to vital donkey work in Ireland - Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell has been invited to visit a Cork donkey sanctuary after his heart-warming shout-out to his four-legged Banshees of Inisherin co-star.
Farrell was named best actor in the hit Irish movie which bagged the best picture – musical or comedy award, and the best screenplay for writer-director Martin McDonagh. He name-checked the scene-stealing donkey, Jenny, in his acceptance speech at the glittering awards ceremony in Beverly Hills.
Irish Donkey Sanctuary spokesperson, Laura Foster, said she never thought she would be thanking a Hollywood A-lister for giving the charity a platform to promote its work and discuss how the role of the donkey in Irish society has changed since the time in which the movie is set.
“It is a beautiful film, and it is so gratifying to see donkeys portrayed in such a positive light. But they are no longer used as is portrayed in the film," she said.
“There has always been a unique connection between Irish people and donkeys but they fall between two stools now. We see a lot of neglect and abandonment, a lot of donkeys who are not cared for properly.
“So we have written to Colin’s representatives in Hollywood to see if he could visit us at some stage and see the work we do.”
The charity, which has its Irish headquarters in Liscarroll, in north Cork, owns and cares for about 1,700 at its farms and sanctuaries across the country. It responded to 905 calls to help donkeys last year — 26% more than 2021 — and rehomed 160 donkeys.
Ms Foster also expressed concerns that the positive portrayal of donkeys in McDonagh's movie, and in Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, which premiered at Cannes and took home the jury prize, could lead to a surge in donkey ownership and abandonment later once the novelty wears off.
“I would encourage people who might want a donkey to call us for advice. We do have donkeys ready for rehoming but only for the right people,” she said.
- See www.adoptadonkey.ie, email thedonkeysanctuary.ie or phone 022-48398.