One of Ireland's best-known poets today denied he sexually exploited young men as police investigate allegations against him.
Detectives have contacted their counterparts in Nepal after a new documentary about Cathal Ó Searcaigh was passed to authorities by the film-maker.
The well-known poet and broadcaster is renowned for his award-winning collections in Irish, which have been translated into several languages.
Neasa Ní Chianáin, who lives near Mr Ó Searcaigh at the foot of Mount Errigal in his native Co Donegal, said she became concerned about his relationship with young men while filming him in Katmandu.
Gardaí confirmed they are making inquiries about the case as controversy mounted ahead of the imminent screening of Ms Ní Chianáin's documentary at the Dublin International Film Festival.
'We have been in contact with authorities in Nepal. There's an investigation under way in relation to allegations about a person,' said a garda spokesman.
Mr Ó Searcaigh, a member of Aosdána, said his portrayal in the documentary Fairytale of Kathmandu is distorted and inaccurate.
'The film makers have not been honest or transparent in their motivation,' he said.
Ms Ní Chianáin said she began filming the documentary just over two years ago as an 'ode' to the poet and his work helping poor people in Nepal with their education.
She said she became concerned at the relationships Mr Ó Searcaigh had with some young men and the balance of power between poor Nepalese and relatively wealthy westerners.
In the film, Mr Ó Searcaigh confirmed he had sex with boys that came to his room but the film-maker stressed that none were under 16, the age of consent in Nepal.
But she passed tapes to health authorities here after her funders became concerned at some of the material in the documentary.
'I went to the North West Health Board, I gave them a copy of all the tapes and it was they that went to social services, and I think social services then contacted the gardai. I didn't go to the gardaí myself,' she said.
Mr Ó Searcaigh, who was shown the documentary in December, said that it was very damaging to his reputation.
'The documentary seeks to portray one aspect of my life in Nepal in a very salacious manner,' he said, in a statement released to RTÉ's Liveline radio programme.
'I am a gay man and I have never made any secret of that. I am openly gay both in Ireland and Nepal.
'The veiled suggestion that I exploited young men for my own sexual gratification is not true.'
