Aisling Walsh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aisling Walsh
Walsh at Berlinale in 2017
Born	1958 (age 66–67) Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Alma mater	Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Occupation	director, screenwriter
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Dermot Ryan 1980-2018 (his death)

Aisling Walsh (born 1958) is a talented Irish screenwriter and director. She is known for creating powerful films and TV shows. Her work has been shown at many film festivals worldwide. She has won several important awards for her directing and writing. These include a BAFTA TV Award for Room at the Top (2012). She also won an Irish Film and Television Award and a Canadian Screen Award for her film Maudie (2016). Aisling Walsh is celebrated for showing honest stories about Irish society.

Early Life and Education

Aisling Walsh was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1958. Her father, Raphael Walsh, was a furniture designer. When she was 16, in 1975, she started studying at the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dublin.

Later, she continued her studies at The National Film School in England. There, she was greatly inspired by Bill Douglas, a Scottish filmmaker. He was one of her teachers at the school. After her studies, she made London her home.

Aisling Walsh's Directing Career

Aisling Walsh began her career in 1985. She wrote and directed her first short film, called Hostage. Her first full-length movie as a director was Joyriders (1989).

Television Work in the 1990s

During the 1990s, Aisling Walsh worked a lot in television. She directed episodes for popular TV shows. These included The Bill (1991–1994) and Doctor Finlay (1993). She also directed for Roughnecks (1995) and Trial & Retribution (1997–2002).

Award-Winning Feature Films

In 2003, Walsh wrote and directed her second feature film. It was called Song for a Raggy Boy. This film won many awards at international film festivals. It even won Best Film at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. Her third feature film, The Daisy Chain, was a horror-thriller. It came out in 2008.

More Television Success

Aisling Walsh continued to direct many TV series and films. In 2005, she directed Fingersmith. This show was nominated for a British Academy Television Award. She also directed the BBC One film Sinners (2007).

In 2010, she directed "The Fifth Woman." This was a long episode of the BBC series Wallander. It starred famous actor Kenneth Branagh. In 2012, she directed Room at the Top. This TV mini-series earned her a BAFTA TV Award in 2013 for Best Mini-Series.

A Poet in New York and Maudie

In 2014, Aisling Walsh directed A Poet in New York. This film explored the life and death of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. He died in New York at the age of 39. The film was made to celebrate 100 years since Thomas's birth.

Her fourth feature film was Maudie (2016). This movie tells the true story of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis. It was first shown at the Telluride Film Festival. Aisling Walsh herself studied painting. She was drawn to the simple beauty of Maud Lewis's artwork.

Maudie received very good reviews from critics. The Japan Times called it "an honest look at a remarkable woman." The New York Times also praised the film. For her work on Maudie, Walsh won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Director. The film won seven awards in total at the 6th annual ceremony in 2018. Walsh also won Best Director at the 15th annual Irish Film and Television Awards in 2018.

Filmography

Film

Television