Ambitious plans unveiled that aim to make south Tipperary an elite music festival venue

An ambitious plan to put south Tipperary among the elite group of music venues in the country was unveiled this week.

The very best of performing artists will take to the stage on an annual basis on an idyllic rural site in a natural amphitheatre capable of hosting 3,000 people in a bid to create a unique and high quality event.

When Next We Meet will be launched with a two-day music festival on the grounds of Raheen House Hotel in Clonmel on July 1 and July 2 this year and from 2023 on, When Next We Meet will be held in a scenic location at Cranna, located between Cahir and Ardfinnan, with two stages, camping facilities and parking utilising a number of fields.

A small working group called Cranna has been established to bring When Next We Meet to reality with the aim of greatly enhancing south Tipperary as a venue for the arts and entertainment.

Local business man David Anchell, founding member of the Camida company based in Clonmel, is one of the driving forces behind the Cranna group. Cliona Maher of the Clonmel Junction Festival is also among its members as is Eamonn O’Donnell, a member of the family that own the site.

“The festival will be a non- profit making ‘soulful’ and ‘for the people’ event.

“It is an attempt for us to share our love for modern contemporary Irish music with others in Tipperary. We’re doing it for the fun of it not for commercial reasons.

“And we truly hope it will be a wholesome and beneficial series of events for participants, audience, committee and landowners,” said David Anchell.

Two festival organisers Kate Twohig and Eoin Hally, have taken on the role of making plans for the launch in July this year of When Next We Meet while at the same time continuing to develop the plans for the 2023 event at its long term home at Cranna.

“It is very exciting for south Tipperary, Clonmel and Cahir. We want to establish When Next We Meet as a very highly thought of music festival with quality acts and a very special and unique atmosphere about it. There is huge potential in this and we believe this festival will put this area on the top musical festival map,” said Kate Twohig.

“Everybody in this area has to travel to Dublin or Cork if they want to see the top bands in concert.

“We want to bring those top bands here to south Tipperary, on our doorstep, we want to make this a venue that the top performers will want to play in,” said Eoin Hally.
The idea for When Next We Meet was formed as a result of the revival in 2021, as part of the Junction Festival, of the We Can Be Heroes concert that was held as part of the Junction in 2013.

“That 2013 event was a formative moment bringing national performers together with local performers. It was revived when Camida sponsored a We Can Be Heroes concert in 2021 and following the success of that the concept of When Next We Meet started to be formed and we are all incredibly excited now to be unveiling the plans for the new festival,” said Kate Twohig.

The line-up for the When Next We Meet launch has been named for both Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2. On both days national performers will share the bill with upcoming local artists.

On Friday, July 1 Soda Blonde, John Francis Flynn and local group The Wood of O will perform. On Saturday, July 2 the line-up will consist of Houseplants (electronic musicians Paul Noonan and Daithi), Elaine May with guest singers and Clonmel band Vale.

“For the launch of When Next We Meet we are delighted with the support shown by Clonmel Junction who are supporting us by allowing us launch during the Junction Festival,” said Kate Twohig.

The launch of When Next We Meet in Raheen House will be able to accommodate approximately 350 people each night and there will be no camping facilities available for that launch event.

Details on how to obtain tickets for the launch of When Next We Meet will be available closer to the date of the launch on July 1 and July 2.

Over 70 kids enjoyed three days of fun and games at Clonmel Og Easter Camp