Rex Ryan says he's no longer in contact with Gerry ‘The Monk' Hutch ahead of play debut

Sunday World

30-05-2025

His brand new play about the veteran criminal is set to debut next month
Rex Ryan has said that he is no longer in contact with Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch ahead of his new play debuting next month.
Appearing on Oliver Callan's RTE Radio One show this morning, the actor and writer said: 'I'm not chatting to him now, and I think it's probably important that I have a removal from everybody now.
'I'm in rehearsals. I'm trying to make the show, so I need to just put my head down and focus on creating a piece of theatre,' he explained.
Rex Ryan (Pic Frank McGrath) and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (Pic Mark Condren)
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Ryan said that a comment made by Hutch during his interview on Crime World inspired part of the play, which is set five minutes before Hutch was due to receive the verdict in the 2022 Regency murder trial.
'He's sitting in the cell and he essentially goes into his mind in a prayer,' he said, explaining the plot.
'He's often referenced the fact – [and] he was asked this on the Nicola Tallant podcast– did he feel that there were angels watching over him because he survived so many [attempts on his life]?
'He survived at least two explicit attempts on his life, and he said he felt that like there was guardian angels watching over him.
'That stuck with me,' Ryan continued.
'So I took the premise of that. Some sort of angel visits him as the clock ticks, four minutes, three minutes, two minutes to go to the trial, and the angel takes him to task for key moments in his life before he goes out to the judges.'
Rex, who is the son of the late Gerry Ryan, lived near Hutch in Clontarf growing up.
He said they first met to discuss the play before The Monk ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 General Election.
'He's a complicated man for sure,' Ryan said when asked if there was 'more depth to him in person?'
Monk poster
'I suppose anyone who's gone through what he's gone through so publicly, that has to have had some effect on how willing you are to open yourself up to anybody.
'So I imagine that he is as much of a mystery to me still,' he said.
'Being in the public eye for so long, being on trial publicly, living in that world, I can only imagine that these are, in terms of your psyche, these are really taxing things and it would be hard not to be adversely affected by that.
Asked if he was 'sympathetic towards him', Rex said he would be 'sympathetic towards many people who have gone through hurt.'
'What I can't do is make a judgment when I'm trying to make the play.
'But I suppose if someone's family were murdered and you were in that world, it's certainly something that I wouldn't wish for myself or my family, and that's something that would, that would terrify me.
'He still has a threat on his life.'
'He didn't seem fearful when I met him, but once again, I think he would, he would have to be aware for the rest of his life.'
'I suppose when I'm meeting, I'm trying not to think like that because if I lean too far one way or the other, I am going to get into territory that I don't want to.'
During the 52 days of evidence, the court heard testimony from various witnesses, including former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall, who claimed Hutch told him that he and another man had shot Kinahan cartel foot soldier David Byrne at the Regency hotel in 2016.
Dowdall was due to stand trial for murder alongside Hutch, but turned state witness and pleaded guilty to a facilitation charge.
The three-judge court found his evidence unreliable and acquitted The Monk.
While he walked free from the three-judge court, his co-accused, Paul Murphy (61), of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Jason Bonney (50), of Dromnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13, were found guilty of facilitating the murder.
The Monk will be performed at the Glass Mask Theatre on Dawson Street from June 10th to 21st.