Sheridan permitted to film comedy in church

A Catholic Bishop has granted permission to Oscar winning filmmaker Neil Jordan to shoot scenes of a new comedy movie in a church, it emerged tonight.

Some parts of Breakfast on Pluto, about the life of a young man who is the result of an illicit affair between a parish priest and his housekeeper, will be filmed in the church in Callan, Co Kilkenny.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Church said: “Each movie would have to be evaluated on its own merits.”

The Academy Award winner was believed to have furnished the parish priest in Callan, Father William Dalton, with a copy of the complete film script.

“Obviously full cooperation would be required so each party knows the full parties intentions,” the spokesman said.

It is believed some people in Callan were worried about the lead character in the film which was based on the Booker-shortlisted book of the same name by Patrick McCabe.

In the novel, Patrick ‘Pussy’ Braden, who will be played by the acclaimed Irish actor Cillian Murphy, leaves the fictional border town of Tyreelin and becomes a transvestite in London.

Mr Jordan has already said the film script was considerably different to the book but Mr McCabe was still pleased with it.

A meeting was held between the film producers and townspeople after some were worried about the crowd it would bring in and others about the possible desecration of the church.

The filmmakers have started building a replica presbytery on the side of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the town.

The Bishop of Ossory, Laurence Forristal, granted permission for the film to be shot in the Callan church.

The spokesman said many films have been allowed to shoot scenes in churches including Angela’s Ashes and another adaptation of a Patrick McCabe novel The Butcher Boy.

He said: “It was the responsibility of each diocese to grant permission and every district differs.”

The Irish Film Board said it was the first feature film successfully to apply for the regional support fund and that was a factor in the producers choosing Kilkenny.

Mr Jordan will begin shooting the adaptation of Breakfast on Pluto on September 6 after a two-year break from directing. Filming should last for several weeks.