Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan said his next big goal is to “clear Ian Bailey’s name” in his next work. 

Speaking at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards, Mr Sheridan said he hopes to exonerate the deceased journalist who was the main suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. 

“I’m going to get up to more of working to clear Ian Bailey’s name,” he said. 

“I kind of got fed up with having to lie that I had to be balanced and make balanced documentaries.” 

Mr Sheridan previously said his next documentary-drama will focus on a new suspect, promising to give about the man seen following Ms Toscan du Plantier on the last day she was seen alive – but won’t name him. 

 

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He referenced his film In the Name of the Father as a source of inspiration for his upcoming work. 

“I did the wrongly accused Irishman in England,” he said. “So now I got to do the wrongly accused Englishman in Ireland. 

“I was astonished that nobody from the English establishment stood up for him whatsoever,” he said.

“It's just a mind-blowing thing to me - maybe it was because he was a difficult personality, you know, but it's still not right.” 

Death of Ian Bailey

Mr Bailey died at the age of 66 on Barrick Street in Bantry, west Cork, in January.

Originally from Manchester, England, Mr Bailey became the chief suspect in the murder of 39-year-old French woman Sophie Tuscan du Plantier in 1996.  

Ms Toscan du Plantier was found killed outside her holiday home near Toormore, Goleen, Co Cork on December 23rd, 1996.  

Mr Bailey was arrested and questioned twice by Gardaí about the murder but has denied killing Ms Tuscan du Plantier.  

Ian Bailey at the Four Courts in Dublin, 7-11-14. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

He was convicted of her murder in absentia in France in 2019. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail and French authorities sought his extradition to French prison.  

However, the Irish courts refused to extradite him. 

Mr Sheridan has previously said there is “no evidence” to support the theory that Mr Bailey killed Ms Toscan du Plantier.