Legendary Irish actor Colm Meaney has been cast as the chief suspect in a film based on the real-life story of a brutal Irish murder.
Ireland, in its tumultuous history, has witnessed much bloodshed. A lot of it bore the name of one cause or another, but there are a handful of chilling Irish murders committed entirely in cold blood.
One such case is the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, which is the focus of the upcoming film Re-creation, which will see legendary Irish actor Colm Meaney in a starring role.
The murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier – one of the most infamous Irish crime stories
Sophie Toscan du Plantier was a 39-year-old French television producer who owned a cottage in Toormoore, County Cork, that she used as a holiday home.
On the morning of 24 December 1996, a neighbour found Toscan du Plantier’s body in a lane near her house. Such was the extent of her facial injuries, however, the neighbour could not formally identify her.
Ireland’s state pathologist found “laceration and swelling of the brain, fracture of the skull, and multiple blunt head injuries” and declared blunt force trauma the cause of death.
Ian Bailey – chief suspect
To this day, the murder case – one of the most notorious in Irish history – remains unsolved, though many believe British journalist Ian Bailey to be responsible thanks to several inconsistencies.
When questioned by police, Bailey had scratches on his face and arms. He attributed his injuries to the cutting down of a Christmas tree on 22 December, though those who were with him recalled no such lesions.
Moreover, Bailey and his partner gave conflicting stories of his whereabouts on the night of the murder. In fact, his partner claimed that he left bed at 10 pm, not returning until 9 am the following morning.
In 2019 the Cours d’Assises in Paris convicted Bailey of the murder and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Ireland’s High Court, however, ruled against his extradition.
Re-creation – a film about the Toscan du Plantier murder
Irish actor Colm Meaney (Layer Cake, Con Air) was recently cast as the crime’s chief suspect Ian Bailey, in Re-creation, an upcoming film about the murder.
Meaney will star alongside Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Bergman Island) as Sophie Toscan du Plantier and fellow Irish actor Aiden Gillen (The Wire, Game of Thrones).
Re-creation was written and will be directed by Irish filmmakers Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) and David Merriman (The State of Being Human).
