Exciting programme and new website launched for Tipperary arts festival

A large crowd gathered at the Showgrounds Shopping Centre last Thursday, June 5 for Clonmel Junction Arts Festival’s brochure launch for 2025.

With ‘Encounters’ as this year’s theme for the festival there promises to be something for everyone in the packed programme, which encourages engagement with the arts through a wide variety of ‘Encounters’.

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Clonmel Junction Arts Festival also launched its redesigned website (www.junctionfestival.com) last week. Designed by Paul Higgins of NiceCube the newly designed website highlights Clonmel and the festival’s many arts events with a striking design, prioritising clarity and ease of use.

Clonmel Junction Arts Festival’s Artistic Director Rebecca Lenehan welcomed the guests to the 25th festival, saying: “This is a considerable achievement to reach our 25th festival and I would like to thank my predecessors David Teevan, Mary Hickson, Nollaig Healy and Clíona Maher for all they have done to develop the festival as a premier arts festival in the South-East.”

Rebecca also went on to thank all the Boards of Directors over the years and the present board chaired by John Kennedy for their warm welcome and support. A special mention was made of Deirdre Grogan who recently retired as secretary and has been a long-term stalwart of the festival board and much-valued member.

Particular thanks were also given to the principal funders the Arts Council and Tipperary County Council and other funders, sponsors and partners of the festival listed in the programme and on the new website. Rebecca said: “It’s not a cliché to say that without your support festivals simply couldn’t happen.”

Guests were treated to Tipperary apple juice, lemonade and cider courtesy of The Apple Farm along with delicious canapes created by the multi-award winning Rívesci.

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Listing just some of the many highlights at the festival including the Vincent Hanley Summer School, Oisín Leech concert, Lemoncello concert, art exhibitions, new theatre and works in progress from Eve O’Mahony, Aoife Delany Reade and Anseo Anois Theatre, a SPLASHLab residency, ConTempo concert, family fun days, new films and TUS student animations, Suzanne Buttimer’s coffee concert, the popular Spoken Word event, a Story Slam, Irish Modern Dance Theatre’s ‘Hyperactive’, Eamon O’Malley’s concert, Rebecca said: “You can see how difficult it is to select a particular highlight as there are so many.”