Enniskillen Tradfest

tradfest enniskillen 2026 — The town has a very strong music scene and the trad Irish side of the town’s interest in the music is celebrated this weekend with Tradfest in some fine pubs that support the music week in week out on most nights of the week.

Enniskillen, Skintown to some, the river Erne and the wider Lough, boreens and back roads of surrounding Fermanagh has inspired some great songs down the centuries that still resound today. These include ‘Willie Rambler’ sung in a version included on The Blue Tar Road by Brendan Nugent, a popular singer locally who sits in during regular seisiúns.

‘Bold Doherty’ too sung in an incredible version by Sligo legends Dervish includes these lines.
“When crossing the fields of me brave Enniskillen
I went into an alehouse for to take a dram
When I saw two tinkers dividin’ a saucepan
Although they were arguing about the tin can
One of them then made a blow at the other one
He said “You young villain I will take your life”
Saying “Your saucepans are leakin’ and won’t hold the water
Since ‘ere the Bold Doherty spoke with your wife”

The witty and characterful Brendan Nugent has proved one of the most popular sitters-in on the local Skintown scene down the years.

Hear the very different, still and luminous, ‘Bold Doherty’ version by Gaby McArdle – paterfamilias of the whole scene and pivotal to its vigour and creativity. He appears in Blake’s of the Hollow, opposite Charlie’s, another of the participating Tradfest hostelries, on Friday night and in the Crowe’s up the street on Saturday. On the evening of Bank Holiday Monday he’s at Magee’s on East Bridge Street. All pubs taking part are within a short walk of one another. All with the exception of Forthill Street’s the Old Oak are between the bridges [the island itself] but like all the rest not much of a stroll. Jools’ place is easily located near the local Dunnes.