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Dearbhla and Paul Mescal Sr. are immensely proud of their sonPaul Mescal's acting chops.
The couple are no strangers to the spotlight, having accompanied Paul to a number of red carpet events over the years, including the November 2024 premiere ofGladiator IIin Dublin.
"To hear your child's name being shouted and the fabulous music ofThe Gladiatorbehind it was pretty awe-inspiring," she toldIreland's Classic Hits Radiodays later. "I got very emotional, I have to say and he did as well. It was one of those things where you're sharing this big moment, kind of like a wedding, but there's loads of cameras!"
Paul Sr. and Dearbhla, who have been married for over 30 years, share three children, including sons Paul and Donnacha and daughter Nell. The couple raised their kids in Maynooth, a town about 20 miles outside of Dublin.
Here's everything to know about Paul Mescal's parents, Paul Sr. and Dearbhla.
Paul Sr. and Dearbhla met while starring in a theater production
nell mescal/instagram
While speaking withAriana GrandeforVariety's Actors on Actorsseries, Paul said his love for acting can be traced back to his parents' meet-cute story, which took place during an onstage production ofPirates of Penzance. According to theNormal Peoplestar, Paul Sr. played the role of "pirate king," while Dearbhla was "one of the maids."
Paul explained that he has a "theory" that because his parents met onstage during a theater production, "somewhere in my blood, or in my heart, or head, that the act of being onstage feels like an important place."
He added, "Thank God for that production, because I wouldn't be here."
They got married in 1994
nell mescal/instagram
Paul Sr. and Dearbhla married in 1994, two years before welcoming Paul. In honor of their 29th wedding anniversary in 2023, Dearbhla penned a heartfelt tribute to Paul Sr. on Instagram, commending "a year of highs, lows & everything in between."
"Paul is my human, in this past year we have held broken hearts, wised up to a new way of living & explored being further from home than ever before. There has been magic in the light and dark," she wrote, perDublin Live.
She continued, "Paul is who I lean on the most, demand way too much of and who when I most needed him was the one in the room with me, in that space when it felt very dark and tough. He has looked me in the eyes and understood, in whatever way he could, what was coming and navigated it with me."
After more than 30 years of marriage, Dearbhla said they don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. "We have not reached our destination …we have so, so much more to learn and see together," she wrote.
They share three children
nell mescal/instagram
Dearbhla and Paul Sr. welcomed their first child, Paul, on Feb. 2, 1996. They later welcomed Donnacha and Nell, the latter of whom was born in 2003.
As their respective careers have taken off (Nell is a singer-songwriter), the siblings have been by each other's side. In 2023, Nell and Donnacha joined their brother atVanity Fair's A Night for Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles, and Nell was also photographed with Paul at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards.
When Paul received his first-ever Oscar nomination for his role in A24'sAftersunin 2023, his family couldn't have been prouder. Nell shared a screenshot onXoftheir family FaceTime callduring which Paul told them that he had been nominated for Best Actor — and the entire crew was beaming.
Dearbhla was a police officer for 34 years
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Dearbhla dedicated her career to serving Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, which in English translates to "guardians of the peace." In May 2023, Dearbhla retired from the Gardaí after 34 years of service. She announced her retirement on Instagram, emphasizing that her next life chapter was "for healing, for adventures, for living," as reported by the Irish newspaperSunday World.
"My life has another change today…I retire from An Garda Síochána after 30yrs. I was 20 when I joined and I retire at 54… a whole lifetime," she captioned the post. "It has been my honour to serve, to have worked with the members I did throughout my career. I think to be of service was the joy of my working life."
In a November 2022 interview withThe Irish Times, Paul described his mother as "a little bit of a hippie." "You would never look at mum and be like: there's a guard," he continued, adding that she's also into Reiki therapy and crystals.
"I never caught any stick for my mum being a guard," he said.
Paul Sr. has taken up acting since retiring
Nell Mescal/Instagram
Paul Sr. was 12 years old when he got his first taste of acting. He was cast in a community theater production overseen by the local parish drama group that his father belonged to. Throughout college and even after becoming a school teacher in 1988, Paul Sr. continued acting on the side. He even spent a year at the Gaiety School of Acting, but eventually stepped away from acting in 2013 to focus on his family.
"I was considering going pro, but I didn't," he toldThe Irish Timesin June 2023.
But now that Paul Sr. has retired from teaching, he has shifted his focus back to his passion. In 2023, he returned to the stage in an original production ofAre Ya Dancin'?, a musical set in the 1960s. He joked, however, that he has no plans to rise to his famous son's caliber.
"There would be a little bit of a chasm between my experience and all of the professional experience Paul has gleaned over the last 10 years," he told the outlet.
Be that as it may, Paul has fond childhood memories of watching his father's earlier work. "He always loved doing it and I'd love to see him doing it more, to be honest," he toldThe Guardianin 2022.
Dearbhla was diagnosed with cancer in 2022
nell mescal/instagram
In June 2024, Dearbhla shared on social media that she was in remission after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, in 2022.
"I AM IN REMISSION!!! I am Blessed," she wrote on Instagram, per theLondon Evening Standard. "Yes I will continue to take tablets, have blood tests but I am Dearbhla, just Dearbhla not Dearbhla with Cancer & I am lucky, joyous & feeling very, very excited about where my life will take me & oh the places I will go."
During that first year, the family kept Dearbhla's diagnosis private. Paul brieflyopened up about his mother's healthwhile celebrating his Oscar nomination in 2023. "There's stuff going on at home that is difficult, and this has given my family a very welcome respite," he said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4'sToday.
Meanwhile, Nellreflected on X, "my mum got a haircut today in prep for her chemotherapy and then paul got nominated for an oscar life is so crazy."
Amid her good news, Dearbhla also gave a special shoutout to her team of doctors, writing that "my cup runneth over" with "gratitude" and "my heart will forever hold yours."
"The love of my children, my husband, my family & dearest friends, the audience of you, the prayers of so many, the vibes sent out to the universe carried me through the hard times & lifted me when I truly felt done in," she wrote.
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