180:, who had been acting as his public spokesman, stood down as a result of a DVD launched to defend Cathal Ă“ Searcaigh by his supporters in Kathmandu. One of the people interviewed to support the poet turned out not to be one of those in the documentary, but someone with the same first name, who had also been filmed, but who failed to make the final cut. No one in Kathmandu had seen the film by then, and none of the people featured in the film had signed release forms. Vinegar Hill, the production company, claimed that as the subjects were "peripheral" to the film, release forms were not used. However all three Nepalese youths interviewed in the film gave verbal permission for the use of their interviews in the film, and a trained counsellor, Krishna Thapa, director of an EU-funded Nepalese NGO, Voice of Children, was present for interviews with two of the three youths.
241:, the show attracted 253,000 viewers. The documentary has been screened for its North American premiere at Seattle International Film Festival and its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Festival, both in June 2008. The film was awarded second place in the International Documentary Competition at Documenta Madrid in May 2008, and it won the Best Director (Documentary) award for Nà Chianáin at the 13th Ourense International Film Festival in October 2008, and the Film Critics Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Barcelona Gay & Lesbian Festival, also in October 2008.
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transcripts. She also argued that many of the boys were still contacted by O'Searcaigh and were receiving money from him, including the boy who asked her not to use his interview. She said this boy was under pressure from O'Searcaigh and that the hotel managers' decision to reveal his concerns supported her account of events.
331:
misrepresented the views of boys interviewed by Nà Chianáin. Narang Pant, whose testimony was central to the original documentary, states he was instructed to give rehearsed answers, and that he subsequently had asked her not to use the interview she had taken with him. Bushe also interviewed another
198:
in Nepal is sixteen, thus no local law was violated. Nepal's
Supreme Court held in November 2008 that banning same sex couples from marriage violated their equality provisions in their Constitution and directed the Nepalese Government to draft laws permitting same sex marriage. However, given that
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which led Neasa Nà Chianáin to take legal action; as a result, RTÉ apologised to Neasa Nà Chianáin. Nà Chianáin denied that there had been any misrepresentation of the views of those interviewed, stating that social services were happy with the account presented in the film and unedited footage and
312:
Defenders of Nà Chianáin, on the other hand, have noted that she brought her concerns to the attention of the Irish police and social services upon her return from Nepal in 2006, and in the two-year period before the film was released, she set up a trust fund and secured counselling and support
169:
during which he had close relationships with many young boys of 16 years old or older. The documentary questioned whether Ă“ Searcaigh's relationships with these youths were exploitative and whether they demonstrated a power and wealth imbalance between the 50-year-old Ă“ Searcaigh and the young
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Nepalese. Ă“ Searcaigh is presented in the documentary as paying for the housing, food, bicycles, and clothing of boys. He mentions on camera having sex with some of them, denying that he abused them or that he coerced them into having sex with him.
309:, who has accused Nà Chianáin of unethical behaviour. She questions whether the film-maker ever informed Ó Searcaigh of the fact that she was no longer filming as a friend but as an antagonist (or at least as an investigative reporter).
291:, who said that, although he didn't "necessarily approve of people going to Nepal for sex with young men," that the "age of consent is 16. So far O Searcaigh has not been accused of any criminal offence." Harris claimed that Nepal is a
264:, while Government Chief Whip, had assisted Ă“ Searcaigh obtain an Irish visa for a Nepalese youth. Hanafin, who admitted being friends with Ă“ Searcaigh for many years, dismissed the allegations as an "irresponsible piece of journalism".
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In the light of the documentary, questions were asked about an appeal he had made in 2005 to raise money for children from poor
Nepalese families. An auction with several donations from celebrities had been set up, but there was no
232:
The documentary has now been shown at 28 international documentary film festivals, including 9 Lesbian and Gay
Festivals. It screened at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (its first showing) and the
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young Nepali man who states he was offered money by Nà Chianáin to give a critical account of Ó Searcaigh, which he refused to do. The comment alleging a payment for false testimony was broadcast on
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253:, who claimed that Ă“ Searcaigh's charity was "conditional" and involved a power gap between a relatively wealthy European adult and Nepalese youth living in poverty. Another is
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defended Ó Searcaigh in Seanad Éireann: "An attempt has been made to create such a firestorm of hostile publicity that justice may never retrospectively be done."
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According to Ă“ Searcaigh, he had sexual relationships with only a "small fraction" of them, and that he has never indulged in anal intercourse in Nepal.
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where it had its first showing in
Ireland in February 2008. The documentary was shown on Irish television on the evening of 11 March 2008. According to
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A year after the film was broadcast, Cathal Ă“ Searcaigh finally made a detailed defence of all the charges against him in an extensive interview in
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183:Ă“ Searcaigh has only given two extended interviews since the film was broadcast. The first was in Irish, on RadiĂł na Gaeltachta on 26 March 2008.
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Paddy Bushe, a poet and filmmaker who became friends with Cathal O'Searcaigh after making a documentary about him, released that film, titled
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in
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Hanafin later admitted there were "difficulties" with the inclusion of poems by Cathal Ă“ Searcaigh on the
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curriculum." However also noting the lives of many authors of works on the curriculum were questionable.
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As of August 2022 (15 years on), no criminal charges have been brought, either in
Ireland or Nepal.
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The second, "The Case for the
Defence" was for Hot Press magazine, in English, in February 2009.
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have been investigating Ă“ Searcaigh since 2006 following complaints from the film's director.
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society, and that many of Ă“ Searcaigh's
Nepalese accusers may have their own agendas.
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522:"Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act, 1996 – Sexual offences committed outside State"
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249:Ă“ Searcaigh was criticised by many journalists and commentators. One example is
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402:"RTÉ & Vinegar Hill Response to Liam Gaskin's 16 Point Media Briefing"
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It emerged in the documentary that
Minister for Education and Science,
591:Ă“ Searcaigh's Kathmandu controversy is about ethics and responsibility
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Interpol has also been given access to footage from the documentary.
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507:"Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act, 1996 – Definition of 'Child';"
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services in Nepal for boys who had encountered Ă“ Searcaigh.
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Gay poet denies he's a 'stud preying on innocent youths'
537:"Boys were 'damaged' by sex trysts with poet, 10/2/08"
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Interpol given access to film of Ă“ Searcaigh youths
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809:"Painful to watch, it was just shallow treachery"
384:"The young men of Kathmandu speak for themselves"
287:He was defended on multiple occasions by Senator
651:http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0220/osearcaigh.html
694:We need to know how Nepal charity cash was used
663:Guidera, Anita; Byrne, Ciaran (13 March 2008).
653:"Ă“ Searcaigh poems may be taken off curriculum"
624:"Hanafin stands over visa help for Nepal teen"
449:"The Case for the Defence (subscription only)"
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354:"Poet only had sex with small fraction of men"
161:The documentary focused on visits by the poet
738:"Official Parliamentary Report 11 March 2008"
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298:Prominent gay rights campaigner and Senator
210:Following complaints by Fiona Neary of the
700:, 26 March 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2009
570:"Fairytale of Kathmandu wins Madrid award"
327:in the autumn of 2009. Bushe alleges that
235:Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
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766:, 13 June 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2009
712:"Fairytale ending so sad and predictable"
404:. RaidiĂł TeilifĂs Éireann. 11 March 2008.
841:Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act, 1996
760:Kathmandu revisited to clear poet's name
665:"Revealed:How Poet set up charity fund"
613:, 27 March 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2009
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777:"RTÉ apologises to Donegal filmmaker"
7:
714:. Irish Independent. Archived from
710:Harris, Eoghan (10 February 2008).
539:. Irish Independent. Archived from
305:The poet has also been defended by
535:MAEVE SHEEHAN (10 February 2008).
431:"English translation of interview"
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836:Official site of documentary film
480:"Nepalese Supreme Court Decision"
360:. 2 February 2009. Archived from
876:Documentary films about gay men
154:is a 2007 documentary film by
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886:Documentary films about Nepal
866:Documentary films about poets
429:Tomaltach (31 March 2008).
228:Showings of the documentary
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871:21st-century controversies
433:. fichefocal.blogspot.com.
325:The Truth about Kathmandu,
101:21 November 2007
881:Irish LGBT-related films
334:RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
245:Criticism of Ă“ Searcaigh
214:it has emerged that the
891:2007 LGBT-related films
861:Irish documentary films
572:. RTÉ News. 15 May 2008
418:. RadiĂł na Gaeltachta.
329:Fairytale of Kathmandu
283:Defence of Ă“ Searcaigh
151:Fairytale of Kathmandu
24:Fairytale of Kathmandu
669:The Irish Independent
524:. Irish Statute Book.
509:. Irish Statute Book.
718:on 12 September 2012
543:on 17 February 2013.
307:Máire Mhac an tSaoi
269:Leaving Certificate
212:Rape Crisis Network
205:Republic of Ireland
632:. 11 February 2008
216:Irish police force
163:Cathal Ă“ Searcaigh
814:Irish Independent
807:(16 March 2008).
698:Irish Independent
629:Irish Independent
611:Irish Independent
609:, Anita Guidera,
597:, 9 February 2008
558:Irish Independent
478:MarriagEquality.
364:on 8 October 2012
156:Neasa Nà Chianáin
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63:Tristan Monbureau
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117:Running time
94:Release date
87:Arnaud Ruest
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636:11 November
490:12 February
463:12 February
368:12 February
178:Liam Gaskin
49:Narrated by
39:Produced by
29:Directed by
856:2007 films
850:Categories
576:6 February
341:References
293:homophobic
121:60 minutes
105:2007-11-21
43:David Rane
764:The Times
453:Hot Press
318:Hot Press
138:Languages
126:Countries
69:Edited by
722:13 March
679:13 March
279:set up.
190:Legality
83:Music by
141:English
129:Ireland
103: (
787:24 May
167:Nepal
143:Irish
132:Nepal
822:2016
789:2011
724:2008
681:2008
638:2015
578:2009
492:2009
465:2009
370:2009
194:The
239:RTÉ
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