Book launched to kickstart Applefest in Clonmel is a celebration of the 'new Irish'

The diversity of the Clonmel community has been captured in a wonderful book entitled: Our Sense of Place.
The book was launched last Thursday evening to kickstart the Applefest weekend of activities in Clonmel.
This unique initiative was devised to bridge the gap between Clonmel’s diverse communities by acknowledging and sharing stories of immigration and integration into Irish society and Clonmel.
The book launch, which features photography by John D Kelly, took place at the Main Guard and was attended by the fourteen local writers and their subjects whose personal stories feature in the book. Sarah Furno, Chairperson of Applefest said there was something very rewarding about anything that falls in harvest time and said the sense of nature, heritage and craft was reflected in the programme of activity for Applefest.
Therese Guschlbauer thanked all the bodies who provided financial support to the Applefest project.
She praised the people who came forward with their stories for the book and the writers and paid tribute to Applefest Press Officer Jenny Cox for her work on the book and other projects.
Jenny Cox told those gathered underneath the arches that community was at the heart of the Applefest.
That community theme, she said, prompted the idea of non-Irish members of the community and what sense of place meant to them and she believed people would be interested about what it was like to live in Clonmel from their perspective.
“We wanted to hear these stories, we wanted to share these stories,” said Jennifer Cox.
Sue Leonard, a journalist who offered mentoring and guidance to the fourteen writers involved, said the book was a great way of celebrating the new Irish. She was struck by just how much each of the fourteen people interviewed had achieved and reading their stories made you realise just how much they were contributing to the community.
Sue also praised the quality and range of the work of the writers involved and thanked them for capturing the stories that needed to be told.