Ireland's new Oscar winners were partying today after a series of triumphs at the 80th Academy Awards.

As Glen Hansard took to the podium after winning in the Best Original Song category for Falling Slowly from the movie Once, he told the audience: “Go raibh míle mile maith agat.”

“What we are doing here – this is mad,” he added, explaining: “We shot this on two handicams in three weeks for 100 grand. We never thought we would be up here tonight.”

He concluded with the exhortation, “Make art. Make art.” But, in one of the more embarrassing moments on Oscar night, his cowinner, Marketa Irglova, was amazingly snubbed on stage.

The orchestra started up just as Marketa stepped up to the microphone to speak following partner Glen Hansard.

She just about got the chance to mutter a polite “thank you” before being drowned out – but, after an ad break, host Jon Stewart brought the 19-year-old Czech musician back up for a second chance to give a speech.

Irglova's second-chance speech lasted just over a minute. She says she was just as surprised as everyone else in the audience about the spontaneous and rare reprieve.

“When I went backstage, they said they were going to have me go back out,” Irglova said after the incident. “It was great to get that chance, and I'm very grateful to them for doing that.”

Irish citizen Daniel Day- Lewis, who lives in Co Wicklow, won the Best Actor category for his gripping role in There Will Be Blood.

Day-Lewis walked up the steps to accept his trophy from Helen Mirren, then went down on one knee before her, head bowed. Mirren, last year's bestactress winner for The Queen picked up his cue, touching Lewis's Oscar to his shoulders as she would a royal sword.

“That's the closest I'll ever come to getting a knighthood,” the Irish star said.

“My deepest thanks to the members of the academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town,” the 50-year-old, who won in 1990 for Dublin movie My Left Foot, added.

Day-Lewis was up against four stars – George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Tommy Lee Jones and Viggo Mortensen – who gave great performances but he was always tipped to win.

Saoirse Ronan, the 13-yearold Carlow girl nominated as best supporting actress for Atonement, sat in the front row of the Kodak theatre for the ceremony, but lost out to English actress Tilda Swinton.

Also pipped at the post was Armagh native Seamus McGarvey, who was nominated as best cinematographer for Atonement , while Peter Devlin, who is from Belfast, was on his second Oscar nomination in the best sound category for Transformers, but the award went to the team behind The Bourne Ultimatum, which collected three Oscars.

Meeting the press backstage after receiving his Oscar, Hansard said he got he a congratulatory text message from Bono.

“It is one of the biggest things that can happen to an Irishman,” he said, describing the U2 singer as “the chieftain of our country”.

President Mary McAleese said today: “I am delighted to congratulate Daniel Day-Lewis on winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova on winning the Oscar for Music (Song) at the 80th Academy Award ceremony in Los Angeles last night.

“2008 has been a tremendously successful year for Irish cinema ... Last night’s achievements at the Oscars are a further sign of the inexhaustible supply of creativity and talent with which this country has been blessed.”

The winners

Best Actor - Daniel Day Lewis

Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem

Best Actress - Marion Cotillard

Best Supporting Actress - Tilda Swinton

Best Director - Joel and Ethan Coen

Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay - No Country For Old Men

Original Screenplay - Juno, Diablo Cody

Cinematography - There Will Be Blood

Animation Feature - Ratatouille

Short Animation - Hugh Welchman, Peter And The Wolf

Best documentary feature - Taxi to the Dark Side

Best Documentary Short Subject - Freeheld

Best Foreign Language Film - "The Counterfeiters" Austria

Original song - "Falling Slowly" from "Once"

Original Score - Atonement

Special Effects - The Golden Compass

Sound, Film Editing - The Bourne Ultimatum

Costume Design - Elizabeth-The Golden Age

Make-Up - La Vie En Rose

Art Direction - Sweeney Todd

Honorary Oscar - Robert Boyle