Inspirational stories of Kickham Barracks set to come to life in Clonmel

From Out The Land might be the biggest theatrical production that Clonmel Junction Arts has created for Kickham Barracks, but the arts organisation’s engagement with the site goes much further back.

“The squares in the barracks grounds are some of the best public spaces in Clonmel, and over the last 6 or 7 years, we have regularly accessed them for exhibitions, street theatre, outdoor shows, and our Junction Festival Dome” explains Artistic Director, Cliona Maher.

However, the relationship goes beyond simply using the site for its now accessible spaces.

“The stories that go back generations have been inspiring to us,” says Maher.

“We all know that the river Suir is at the heart of why Clonmel is sited here and has been an integral part to the town’s growth, but being a garrison town has been very much part of the development of the town’s character,” she said.

From Out The Land (running August 31 – September 10) tells the story of three generations across different timelines. However this isn’t the first time that the festival has developed a project with inspiration from the town’s former soldiers.

In 2020, photographer John D. Kelly took a series of portraits of former Kickham Barracks veterans with an object that they associated with the site.

The resulting exhibition was displayed on the outside wall of the barracks as an outdoor exhibition, and the objects’ stories were captured in a sound recording on the website www.kick

hambarracksstories.ie