11 March 2023 , 15:45
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The most famous donkeys in the world deserve Oscars glory, according to the woman who trained them.
Talented miniature donkey Jenny was the break-out star of the Banshees of Inisherin as the sidekick of Colin Farrell’s character Pádraic.
It later transpired that Jenny had a 10-year-old donkey double called Rosie, who hailed from Stoke.
Megan Hines trained both donkeys and she said they were worthy recipients of all the worldwide praise coming their way.
“If there was an Oscars for Donkeys, they would definitely win,” she told the Mirror.
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The hit comedy drama, also starring Brendan Gleeson, has notched up a staggering nine Oscar nominations.
Miniature donkey Jenny was the breakout star of The Banshees of Inisherin (AP)Megan said their star turns on the hit film - which is up for Best Film - was even better because they were total novices.
“Jenny was very sweet but quite naive,” Megan said. “So we had to train everything from scratch as she hadn’t had very much handling at all.
“Rosie took everything in her stride and nothing fazed her.”
She said that she hoped the film would smash the perception of donkeys being lazy and stubborn.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to let everyone in the world learn how fantastic donkeys are,” she says.
The film stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell (Getty Images)“I think there’s definitely a stereotype of donkeys being stubborn but with positive reinforcement, they are happy.”
The donkeys are now currently living in a secret location enjoying their retirement in peace, away from prying fans. Jenny is residing in Ireland, while Rosie is back home in the Midlands.
Megan added that the stars of the film, also starring Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, fell in love with the donkeys.
“They were really nice and very considerate of the animals,” she said. “So very gentle and kind.”
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