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Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson to team up in sex abuse play

New York debut for drama about abuse in industrial schools

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7:28 AM

Updated Thursday, November 17, 2011, 11:02 AM

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Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson team up to bring a controversial one-man play about sex abuse to Off-Broadway

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Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne are to team up to bring a controversial one-man play about sex abuse to Off-Broadway.

It is believed to be the first time Ireland’s two most prominent actors in America have co-operated on a project.

‘James X’, written by actor and playwright Mannix Flynn will begin previews on December 6th at the Bleecker Theater and will officially open December 9th.

The play is about a man waiting to give evidence to a sex abuse inquiry about what he suffered in his past.

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It will be directed by Byrne and produced by Byrne and Neeson for the Culture Project, a New York- organization whose work focuses on human rights.

The play will deal with church abuse but also with the dreadful treatment of children in the state run reformatory or industrial schools

Flynn, now an elected city councilor in Dublin, spent several years in a reformatory school. Part of the play features photocopied documents taken from his own personal file at Ireland’s Department of Health, dating from age 7.

Flynn was born in Dublin in May 1957. He was sent to industrial school at age 11 and was subjected to sexual and physical violence there.

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CaptainCon | Nov 18, 2011, 05:44 AM EST

Child abuse happens in all nations and it seems in both the secular and religious environments. It takes a special sort of psychological illness though to decide that the best thing to do is cover it up and let abusers continue to abuse. That is the difference between 'ethics' and 'morality'. Someone can call themselves highly 'moral' and yet persuade themselves that the greater good is to silence news of degeneracy in members of a church. No-one can be under any illusion that it is ethical. Cardinal Sean Brady in Ireland no doubt regards himself as a 'moral' man and yet he has the blood of at least two suicide victims on his hands who were assaulted by the degenerate Brendan Smyth after Sean Brady released him back into the wild unreported. Sean Brady the ethical expert and canon lawyer- and an ethical failure of the worst sort and he doesn't even think he should resign. The repellent slug.

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Ernesider | Nov 18, 2011, 12:55 AM EST

How proud I used to be when I would hear on the radio The Artane Boys' Band playing especially on All-Ireland Sunday from Croke Park. I am saddened at times now to think of the abuse many, if not most, of these poor boys were subjected to. It is wonderful that Gabriel and Liam are adding their awesome talents to share Mr. Flynn's story and hopefully promote a greater awareness and further our desire that no child will ever suffer again.

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JOHNTOBIN | Nov 17, 2011, 09:04 PM EST

I fully agree with the comments made by cowabunga.Some of the filth and violence that is portrayed on our TV and movie screens is sickening.You cannot tell me that this sort of stuff does not have an effect on peoples minds and actions.

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cowabunga | Nov 17, 2011, 11:10 AM EST

And again-why doesnt someone look into the reasons or the 'triggers' that set abusers off, to do the crimes they do? Can it be the media world that dehumanizes women, men, young people, and yes, even children-putting them into sexually suggestive plays, movies, TV shows, commercials, etc. Read the 'ratings' box of movies and see the garbage that child actors are expected to be a part of-whose fault is that? Can we boycott the movies?

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cowabunga | Nov 17, 2011, 11:06 AM EST

Well, Its about time SOMEONE in the entertainment world is looking at abuse as a world wide problem. Wonder if they'll ever do a play about child/minor abuse in Hollywood? OOOOOOooooo, that would be brave indeed!

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Murph46 | Nov 17, 2011, 10:53 AM EST

Oh no,Say it ain't so Joe . A play about Penn State already?

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Searlit | Nov 17, 2011, 10:52 AM EST

People need to stop calling, any attention given to expose and stop the sexual abuse of children, controversial. It is a crime! Sweeping it under the carpet and not talking about it has led to the destruction of many lives. It is a blessing that some of the survivors of this horrible abuse are able to bring attention and credibility to this human rights issue.

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