Hollywood star Daisy Edgar-Jones has revealed how childhood summers spent roaming the fields of County Fermanagh helped inspire her performance in her latest film.
The Normal People and Twisters actress has been speaking about her connection to Fermanagh ahead of the release of a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, in which she takes on the lead role of Elinor Dashwood.
Speaking to BBC News NI, Edgar-Jones recalled spending long summer holidays in Fermanagh when she was young, where members of her family live.
Those childhood memories would unexpectedly prove useful years later when preparing to step into the world of Jane Austen.
Long summers in Fermanagh
Edgar-Jones recalled spending her younger years wandering through the Fermanagh countryside.
She told BBC News NI: “I remember big long summers when I was very young in Fermanagh.”
The actress explained that spending time wandering around the fields beneath the open sky was surprisingly similar to some of what she experienced while working on Sense and Sensibility.
Those memories, she said, “definitely helped” with her journey into the film.
Edgar-Jones also made her feelings about returning to this part of the world clear, saying: “I love being here.”
‘I always feel so welcome’
The 28-year-old has strong family connections to Northern Ireland.
Her mother, Wendy, is from County Down, while Edgar-Jones also has family living in County Fermanagh.
She later spent around five months in Ireland while filming the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, the hugely successful series that propelled both Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal to international fame.
Speaking about Northern Ireland, she told the BBC that she always feels welcome when she returns, adding that “the people are incredible.”
From Fermanagh fields to Jane Austen
Edgar-Jones now stars as Elinor Dashwood in the latest big-screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
The classic novel, first published in 1811, follows sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they deal with major changes in their family’s circumstances while navigating relationships, love and heartbreak.
Edgar-Jones plays the more reserved Elinor, with Esmé Creed-Miles starring as her younger sister Marianne.
The cast also includes Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Frank Dillane, George MacKay and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.
The actress has said she can see some of herself in Elinor, describing herself as someone who tends to lead with her head and push her emotions aside when it comes to love.
Another famous fan of Fermanagh
Fermanagh has attracted its share of famous visitors over the years, from actors filming major productions to musicians, television personalities and international sporting stars staying in the county.
But Edgar-Jones’ connection is a little more personal.
Rather than discovering the county through work, her memories stretch back to childhood summers spent in the Fermanagh countryside — memories which, around two decades later, ended up influencing one of her biggest film roles.
And with Edgar-Jones now enjoying an international acting career, it is a nice reminder that a little bit of Fermanagh can sometimes find its way onto the big screen.
Sense and Sensibility is due to arrive in UK cinemas on 25th September 2026.
