A short film inspired by the true story of an Irish family’s act of kindness made its U.S. debut recently, with several Rye residents backing the effort to bring the tale to audiences across the globe.
“Newtown Boys,” written by Galway, Ireland-native Heather O’Sullivan, tells the story of her father, Kevin O’Sullivan, and how his life and his family changed when they welcomed a boy from a nearby orphanage into their home for a weekend in 1960s Ireland.
That boy, Peter, wasn’t adopted, but the weekend marked the beginning of a lifelong bond. He continued spending time with the O’Sullivan family and is still part of their lives today.
Set in the seaside town of Tramore, the film explores the relationship between Peter (called Joseph in the film) and Conn, who is based on Kevin Sullivan. Initially, the two are hesitant friends, but they develop a brotherly bond as they test the boundaries of freedom and adventure together.
Though it remains mostly unspoken, their growing friendship unfolds in quiet contrast to the dark shadows of Ireland’s “Mother and Baby Home” era, when thousands of unmarried mothers and children were separated — and often mistreated — by church-run institutions. The film offers glimpses into Conn’s family’s warm compassion, and also doesn’t shy away from the difficult reality of the orphanage.
One of the O’Sullivan children, Eavan O’Driscoll, is a longtime Rye resident who was at the film’s recent premiere in Bedford and watched her childhood come to life in the film. She was a child when her parents first welcomed Peter into their home; in the movie, she is the family’s youngest baby.
“We weren’t allowed into the orphanage at the time; the nuns wouldn’t let anyone know what was going on inside,” she recalled. “Peter didn’t share his trauma until his late 20s or 30s.” She said her parents’ compassion changed the course of Peter’s life; they opened their home and their hearts to a child who had known only hardship.
O’Driscoll said Peter remained close with the family for decades, visiting them often in Tramore and staying in touch even after he had moved to London. The families have remained connected ever since, and Peter is godfather to one of her children.
She said her parents’ kindness took on new meaning when she later understood the world Peter had come from.
In the early 1990s, Eavan and her husband, Conor, moved to Rye, where they raised their four children and quickly became part of the community, including Rye’s strong Irish cohort.
“We only knew two other Irish families when we first moved here, but we received such a warm welcome and quickly felt at home,” she said. “Our neighbors in Indian Village, Resurrection School, and the church community all made Rye such a wonderful place to raise a family.”
She said the same values that shaped her parents’ lives in Ireland guided her own family here.
“My parents’ example of kindness shaped me more deeply than I realized when I was young,” she said. “They taught me that kindness builds community, and that’s a value I’ve tried to pass on in our home.”
The film involved more than just one Rye resident.
For Rye’s Edwina Fitzmaurice, the film’s executive producer, helping make “Newtown Boys” was about amplifying stories like O’Driscoll’s — and ensuring that history is remembered with empathy, not just its more painful moments.
“The movie is a reminder that children’s voices are often not heard,” she said. “As I consider what’s happening in the world today, it’s the children who will live with the outcomes tomorrow. Finding a way to keep children top of mind — and asking for their perspectives — is front-of-mind for me since making the movie.”
Fitzmaurice, a first-time producer, said she felt compelled to help tell this story because of its universal message of compassion and resilience.
“There were tears in people’s eyes in Bedford and an outpouring of emotion afterward as they realized this is a true story, and that the real people featured in it are with us here in Rye and back in Ireland,” she said.
Rye’s own Jessica Fitzmaurice, known professionally as Jecca Fitz, a professional singer-songwriter and student at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, lent her voice and lyrics to the film with an original song, “Sleeping Alone.”
The track, which plays over the end credits, captures the torment of leaving home and the warmth of finding it again, mirroring the film’s conflicting yet harmonious themes. She performed the song live at the Bedford screening, calling it “a full-circle moment” to share her music with the community that helped shape her.
Behind the scenes, Will Steinthal, another Rye resident, contributed to the film’s production in Ireland, assisting with sound and set coordination during the three-day shoot.
“Newtown Boys” stars Leo Earley as Conn (soon to appear as Seamus Finnigan in HBO’s Harry Potter remake), as well as Tara Breathnach (Dune: Part Two) and Lochlann O’Mearain (Outlander). Money raised at the Bedford event will help “Newtown Boys” continue its festival run across Ireland, Europe, and North America.
For O’Driscoll, however, the meaning goes beyond the big screen.
“This movie reminded me how powerful one family’s kindness can be,” she said.
