“Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy,” said Fiona Shaw, Irish actress famous for her role in Harry Potter.
On St. Patrick’s Day, we focus on that well-known joy the Irish pass along to those around them. We feature stars that certainly have more than nothing, and they’re willing to share their pot o’ gold to support their favorite causes.
Below is our list of favorite Good Celebrities — St. Patty’s Day edition!
Colin Farrell
Born in Castleknock, Republic of Ireland, Colin Farrell is a charitable star who pinpoints his focus on children who need extra assistance in life. This cause is close to his heart because his son James has special needs.
“James has a form of cerebral palsy called Angelman Syndrome,” Farrell told Sunday World, an Irish publication. “He has his own journey going on, has certain issues with speech, certain issues with motor skills. But he’s an incredibly happy boy.”
“There’s no heartbreak about it. I’m incredibly blessed to have him in my life,” he added.
Farrell also supports the Special Olympics. He was its spokesperson for the Olympic games in China.
Bono
U2 frontman Bono is an incredibly philanthropic star. Born in Dublin, Ireland, this famed singer supports the fight against AIDS and HIV. He is also an advocate for ending poverty in Africa.
He is the co-founder of (RED) and ONE, which supports each of these causes, respectively.
Saoirse Ronan
The two-time Oscar-nominated actress was born in Brooklyn, NY but has strong Irish roots (her thick accent gives that away).
Saoirse Ronan stays close to her native land by supporting The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. As previously reported by Good Celebrity, Ronan starred in a PSA for the organization activating against violence involving children.
Ben Affleck
American actor Ben Affleck has Irish roots and was born in California. The actor is very charity-focused and even has an organization of his own.
He is the founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, which advocates and makes grants for people in this region.
The “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” star just appeared on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” to promote his new film. While at Warner Bros. Studios, he earned $10,000 for his organization courtesy of Chideo. All he had to do was take a pie to the face!
Evanna Lynch
She’s best known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the “Harry Potter” films, but Evanna Lynch makes our list for her work supporting animal rights.
She was born in Termonfeckin, County Louth, and now the 23-year-old star is an advocate for End the Cage Age. This campaign fights for animal welfare and is supported by the French branch of Compassion in World Farming.
“I’m a passionate animal rights advocate,” Lynch told PEOPLE. “I wanted to find a charity that was more moderate. I love the work of PETA, but I think it isolates a lot of people. But everyone can agree that even if they’re fine eating animals, they don’t want them to suffer unnecessarily.
Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson
Each of these accomplished actors is worthy of their own mention, no doubt, but we put them together because Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson collaborated on a unique project that Good Celebrity had the pleasure of covering.
Last year, the Irish actors teamed up to work with children filmmakers in Cinemagic’s feature-length production, “A Christmas Star.”
Cinemagic is a UK-based charity that gives low-income children the opportunity to learn about film through educational workshops. It held its annual festival in Los Angeles this month and we were there to cover the event.
In addition to children’s welfare, both actors support many causes.
The “James Bond” hunk is an strong advocate for the environment, animals and women’s health.
Meanwhile, the “Taken” frontman raises awareness to causes including education, human rights and poverty.
Stay linked to GoodCelebrity.com for more news about your favorite philanthropic stars!