Monaghan actress Caitriona Balfe has received two nominations at the recently announced IFTA Film & Drama Awards.

Monaghan actress receives two IFTA award nominations

The Academy has confirmed that due to Covid-19 restrictions there will be no physical IFTA Awards Ceremony until April 2021, in keeping with best international practice across Awards ceremonies worldwide.

Monaghan actress Caitriona Balfe has received two nominations at the recently announced IFTA Film & Drama Awards.

The nominations were announced with the Irish Film and Television Academy saying it was “finalising plans for a bespoke virtual 2020 Awards Ceremony” scheduled for September.

The Academy also confirmed that due to Covid-19 restrictions there will be no physical IFTA Awards Ceremony until April 2021, in keeping with best international practice across Awards ceremonies worldwide.

Balfe has been nominated for her work as an Actress in a Leading Role (Drama category) in 'Outlander'.

The Dublin native, who grew up near Tydavnet, is widely celebrated for her portrayal of primary character on the Starz television series Outlander, based on the novels written by Diana Gabaldon, which is now heading into its sixth full series.

In it the former producer and fashion model plays a mid-20th-century nurse transported back in time to the war-torn mid-18th-century Scottish Highlands. Both the series and her performance have received critical acclaim.

Balfe faces competition for the 'Lead' title from Niamh Algar, nominated for her performance in 'The Virtues', Jessie Buckley for 'The Woman in White', Sarah Greene for 'Dublin Murders', Ruth Negga for 'Preacher' and Ann Skelly for 'Death and Nightingales'.

Balfe has also been nominated as best 'Actress in a Supporting Role' for her work on 'Le Mans' 66' (also titled Ford v Ferrari), a sports drama where she stars opposite Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Mollie Miles, the wife of professional race car driver Ken Miles.

The film received universal acclaim upon release and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

She faces challenge in the 'Supporting' category from Niamh Algar (Calm with Horses), Seána Kerslake (Dublin Oldschool), Charlie Murphy (Dark Lies the Island), Emily Taaffe (The Dig) and Catherine Walker (We Ourselves).