BY MAIRÉAD WILMOT “WE got it!” The words of Carlow native Kathleen O’Rourke speaking to her father Hugh just minutes after hearing she was on her way to the Oscars. Kathleen, from Ballyhide, Carlow is about to be plunged into the world of Hollywood royalty after Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, a short-animated film that she wrote and voiced was nominated for a coveted Oscar in the Best Animated Short Film category. News of the nomination filtered through yesterday (Tuesday) just after half-past one, and a thrilled Kathleen managed to take a few moments to speak to The Nationalist. “I’m so thrilled,” admitted an over-the-moon Kathleen, who went to school in St Fiacc’s NS and then St Leo’s. “We are big-time excited. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me!” The six-minute film is directed by Nicky Phelan and produced by Darragh O’Connell for Brown Bag Films, the company behind Give Up Yer Aul’ Sins, which was also nominated for an Oscar in 2002. Granny’s character is Kathleen’s original brainchild and came to life after Kathleen’s friend Nicky Phelan spotted her performing Granny at a cabaret show. “I came up with Granny in 2003 and was performing her for a few years. Nicky saw me and he loved Granny and suggested we turn it into an animated film, so it has been a long journey!” admitted Kathleen, who headed to DCU to study a communications degree after St Leo’s. She then taught in a Gaelscoil in Lucan before giving it all up over two years ago to become a freelance comedian and writer. Family connections made it all happen, though, because Kathleen was first introduced to Nicky through her recently-married sister Ruth, who studied animation in Ballyfermot. Explaining Granny O’Grimm in a nutshell, Kathleen said: “Granny is an old lady who dreams of being the best granny in the whole world, but 78 years of hardship have taken their toll on her, so when she tries to tell her granddaughter a bedtime story she ends up scaring the life out of her!” The Carlow girl will now be jet-setting with the best of ’em when she heads to the Kodak Theatre in LA on 7 March. “Everyone is so excited to be going to the Oscars! We are just thrilled,” said Kathleen, before leaving us … presumably to buy a miniature dog and a pair of Jimmy Choo’s. Kathleen’s parents Hugh and Denise, who live in Ballyhide, say they are “delighted” with their daughter’s good news. “It is pretty exciting,” said Hugh. “People were very good to us and I know there were lots of prayers said for her.”