In the new Hot Press: Cathal Ó Searcaigh makes his case

Ó Searcaigh's interview has elicited a strong reaction in the national press today, grabbing front page headlines in the likes of the Irish Times and being covered in many newspapers.

Since last year's hugely damaging RTÉ documentary, Fairytale Of Kathmandu – which lead to accusations that Ó Searcaigh was a sex tourist, or worse, a paedophile – the poet has been hounded by the media. However, believing that it would be very difficult to get a fair hearing, he has until now shied away from speaking out on the issue.

Booked to appear on the Late Late Show last week, he cancelled at the last minute, because of conditions imposed by RTÉ.

Now, he tells his full story to Hot Press' Dermod Moore, explaining why in the end he turned down the Late Late appearance, and defending himself against allegations that he took advantage of teenage boys on his visits to Nepal.

The interview is a remarkable exchange, with Ó Searcaigh speaking openly about his encounters with Nepalese teenage boys. He also raises new questions and issues, talking honestly and frankly about his sexuality, about his relationships in Nepal, about charity work in general and about love – and what it means to him as a human being.

Hot Press editor Niall Stokes commented: "This is an important, in depth interview on a matter of major importance to Irish society.

"There are issues raised, in a very different light, which are of huge significance to a wide spectrum of interests – including charity organisations and NGOs, especially those operating in developing countries; people involved in the media, and particularly those involved in television and film making; gays; poets and other artists; legislators; social workers, therapists; doctors, psychologists, and teachers – and so on. The interview is unflinching in its enquiry but I think it should help us all to reflect on what it is to be human, and how society deals with what is targeted as being in some way 'deviant'."

Read the full remarkable interview, which is available only in the new issue of Hot Press, out today, or to hotpress.com subscribers.

Hotpress.com has made the Cathal O Searcaigh interview freely available in Nepal.

You can buy the new issue of Hot Press in newsagents nationwide, or online here.