Clonmel arts festival director to step down after six years in charge

Cliona Maher is stepping down as Artistic Director of the Clonmel Junction Arts Festival following a very successful 2024 edition, her sixth festival.

"I have really enjoyed my time at Junction," she says.

"It’s had its challenges, but it has been a wonderful opportunity to work with so many artists and organisations, and to deliver a festival that has focused on the town and its needs. I feel as if I’ve achieved what I set out to do, and it’s time to move on."

Since Cliona took up the role in 2019, the festival has seen a commitment to providing a platform for the work of Tipperary artists alongside national and international work, with a policy of showcasing both established and emerging artists, and delving into stories and themes that resonate with Clonmel audiences.

Under her stewardship, the festival has produced and commissioned new work for theatre every year since her tenure began in 2019, as well as producing several theatre pieces in co-production, with 2024’s co-production with Source Arts Centre of Áine Ryan’s popular success The Hills of Love the latest chapter in the story.

She has also brought new art forms to the forefront of the festival programme, particularly in dance and literature, working in close collaboration with partners to meet the core objective of providing a diverse programme for Clonmel audiences.

Many events started by Cliona under the festival umbrella now stand on their own, including "When Next We Meet," the original music festival created with businessman David Anchell and musicians Eoin Hally and Kate Twohig in 2022.

Other initiatives like Clonmel Originals Music Trail were designed to champion and support the local arts community which continues as the bi-monthly Flow Original Music.

In 2023, she produced a landmark theatre piece for the Decade of Centenaries in Clonmel, "From Out The Land," continuing the community-engaged large-scale work done with In The Open Clonmel and the Asylum Production’s co-production "Everything Must GO!" in 2022.

The Board of Clonmel Junction Arts Festival congratulated Cliona, with chairperson John Kennedy remarking that they are sorry to see her go but are grateful for everything that she’s done for the festival in the past six years.