Oscar glory for Belfast man Terry George

This year's Oscars ceremony might have been dominated by a certain French film, but Belfast director Terry George has brought a slice of awards glory back to Northern Ireland.

George had previously received Oscar nods for his work as screenwriter on 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'In The Name Of The Father', but he finally got his hands on a trophy by getting behind the camera and directing a film himself.

He was awarded the Best Live Action Short Oscar for 'The Shore', which stars a host of acting talent from Northern Ireland including Ciaran Hinds, Maggie Cronin and Conleth Hill, and tells the story of an ex-pat who returns to Northern Ireland from America after a 25-year absence.

[Related story: It's a silent night as The Artist sweeps the Academy Awards]
[Related story: Sacha Baron Cohen drops 'Kim Jong Il's ashes' over Ryan Seacrest]

Receiving the Oscar, George paid tribute to his countrymen:

"Our little film was inspired by the people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who after 30 years of war, sat down, negotiated a peace and proved to the world that the Irish are great talkers... I want to dedicate this to them.

"I hope that this is just a reaffirmation that things have changed there and that we're trying to move on and it's a great place to be."

Carál Ní Chuilín, Northern Ireland Culture Minister, lauded the "fantastic achievement" for the Northern Ireland film industry.

Watch a round-up of this year's big winners...