Applefest to announce details of festival in Clonmel

Clonmel Applefest in partnership with Tipperary Food Producers and Tipperary Museum of Hidden Histories will be hosting the launch of its brochure on Saturday, September 3 from 12 noon to 3pm at Mick Delahunty Square in front of the museum.
The event will also be the occasion to see the unveiling of an arts installation, part of a three-month long Tipperary Food Residency by Cashel printmaker Aoife Barrett. During the summer months, Aoife visited seven local food producers to gather insights, stories, fun facts and visual impressions about their farming and processing practices.
The seven local food producers were Magner’s Egg Farm, Blackcastle Farm, Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, The Apple Farm, Irish Hedgerow, Hickey’s Bakery and Galtee Honey.
During her visits, she gained an understanding into their craft and practices, finding out more about regenerative farming, cheesemaking, beekeeping, animal/ appletree husbandry and biodiversity.
The idea of this experimental residency came from Aoife’s desire to learn more about traditional skills and crafts, food practices and how we can reconnect with our food.

As a printmaker, she has always been interested in slow-production crafts and how working with our hands can help us to engage and connect more deeply with the world around us.
The interactive table installation will be the main focus of the event which will also feature live music, food tasting and the launch of the Clonmel Applefest programme brochure which features over 40 artists in over 20 acts, talks and projects.
Members of the public are invited to pop over to Mick Delahunty square for a chat, pick up an Applefest brochure, experiment with Aoife’s printmaking equipment, interact with the tablemats, sample some of the Tipperary Food Producers food and try their hand at apple pressing.
Highlights of the programme include a bigger version of the Harvest procession with a grand Fire Finale by Rogù Fire Arts at Suir Island Carpark, a collaborative children’s art installation with artist Brigid Teehan and the much anticipated Artisans of Clonmel Book launch as the opening event of the festival on Thursday September 22.
Culture Night will also be featured this year as it falls on Friday, September 23 with multiple events, including a late night comedy act and burlesque cabaret.
More information about forthcoming events can be obtained by logging onto the festival website at www.clonmelapplefest.ie and downloading a brochure; or pick up a copy in one of the quality cafés, libraries and other public buildings.
You can also follow them on social media where updates on all the current projects and forthcoming acts are regularly posted.