Hollywood impressed by Ireland’s rising stars - Saorise Ronan, Colin O’Donoghue, Robert Sheehan and more

The Irish economy has tanked but you should never take bets against Irish creativity according to a reports in Variety.

Hollywood is finally taking notice of a bumper crop of new Irish acting talent making waves internationally.

Saoirse Ronan and Sarah Bolger keep finding ever more challenging roles and the box office loves them. Bolger recently played the dark and complicated Mary Tudor in The Tudors, and Ronan was outstanding as the teen assassin Hanna in Joe Wright's pulse pounding thriller.

Maureen Hughes, the Irish born number one casting agent in Hollywood says that Ronan reminds her of a young Natalie Portman, and feels that her career is following a similar trajectory.

Hughes also admires hunky newcomer Colin O'Donoghue who had a hit recently with The Rite, in which he holds his own alongside Anthony Hopkins.

Chris O'Dowd, know to his Irish fans for the comedy series The IT Crowd, was a huge critical and commercial hit this week with the gross out comedy hit Bridesmaids.

And finally Robert Sheehan is making a big name for himself. Sheehan landed a lead part in the comedy-drama Killing Bono, in which he appears alongside another rising Irish talent, Martin McCann, who plays Bono - and who later scored minor roles in Clash of the Titans and The Pacific.

It looks like the Irish invasion is proceeding without a hitch.