Story of Clonmel barracks is Co Tipperary’s largest ever theatrical production
The cast of From Out The Land at a rehearsal in the barracks in Clonmel.
“Not all history happens in cities.” That’s the sentiment behind what organisers say will be Tipperary’s largest ever theatrical production, From Out the Land.
The play, which was written by Tipperary natives Áine Ryan and Jack Rearden, tells the tale of how Clonmel became the town that is today through stories inspired by real-life events that took place in Kickham Barracks.
As writer, director and Clonmel native Jack Rearden puts it: “it’s about Clonmel and for Clonmel and with Clonmel”.
“There’s a lot of truth in it”, Rearden explains over Zoom during a break from rehearsals. “The whole show was devised using interviews and testimonies from veterans of the barracks itself, women who were part of the wives and partners committees and then we worked with Tipperary Museum looking at historical testimonies.”
The story has three threads spanning different points in time and follows historic events such as the Easter Rising, Bloody Sunday and the Civil War from the perspective of the soldiers in the Clonmel Barracks. A later timeline takes the audience back to the 1960s while another follows the wives and partners who fought to keep the barracks open in 2012.
“It’s these three interwoven timelines that all cross over and play out and look at who we were, which made us who we are now, and hopefully, looks at who we will become next,” says Rearden.
In 2011 Cabinet voted to close Kickham barracks along with barracks in Cavan, Castlebar and Mullingar. At the time, there were 200 soldiers stationed at the military barracks.
Having been a part of the town for almost 300 years (though there is still debate over the official opening date), the closure of Kickham Barracks in 2012 was difficult for many - especially those who fought so hard to keep it open.
“How much the town came together and the way the wives and the partners had to set up the Wives and Partners Group and go to the Dáil and fight so hard to keep it open – that is such an amazing true story,” says Upperchurch native Áine Ryan of the fight to keep the barracks open.
“You often see these kinds of things in feature films in the UK or the military wives’ choir and things like that but something similar was actually happening in Clonmel and it is true. That’s just amazing.”
The pair’s research included interviews with veterans as well as those from the wives and partners group. While the production is not an exact history of the barracks, a lot of sections of the play use direct testimony.
As Rearden says, From out the Land is not just about the people of Clonmel and has been created with the help of locals too. It has very much been a community effort and while rehearsing, former sergeant Bobby Cantwell even paid a visit to help teach the cast to drill like real soldiers.
One “huge” element of the show is the citizen ensemble of 85 people of different ages and generations – the youngest is 15 while the eldest is 86. The play will be the largest theatrical production ever to take place in Tipperary with the largest component of the cast being made up of local Clonmel people.
“They act as a Greek chorus within the production, bringing the barracks itself to life. They’ve been witness to everything that has happened over the last 100 years,” says Rearden of the citizen ensemble. “They’re extraordinary. They’ve given up so much of their time.” Throughout the process, one thing the writers have heard from locals is “this doesn’t happen here. We don’t get these opportunities to make things like this”.
Adding even more impact to the production, From Out the Land will take place at the site of the former Kickham Barracks.
“I think the fact that our play will exist literally on the inner square of the former barracks behind the officers’ mess, it will almost be like our actors inhibiting some of those ghosts one last time, which I think will be quite powerful,” says Rearden. “The actual space will give it an energy that you couldn’t create indoors or onstage or anywhere else for that matter.” Even when it was open, it was a bit of a “mysterious site” considering it was a military barracks and Rearden says the space has always been “the heart of the town”.
“To be allowed to come back into that space and to be given ownership of it is also quite powerful.”
- Clonmel Junction Arts presents From Out The Land from Sept 3 until Sept 10 (excluding Sept 4/5). Tickets on sale now at https://www.junctionfestival.com/
- In light of the recent tragedy to hit Clonmel, the performances scheduled for Thursday, Aug 31, to Saturday, Sept 2, have been cancelled. Refunds are available
