Event unveils exciting plans for Enniskillen's golden swallows

Enniskillen BID and the Happy Days festival team hosted a special evening reception to celebrate the Flight of the Little Golden Swallow trail at the Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel last Wednesday.

Enniskillen BID and the Happy Days team wanted to thank all the local businesses who participated in the initiative and agreed to host a little golden swallow, of which there are 150 placed on 86 buildings in the town.

Noelle McAloon, from Enniskillen BID, welcomed everyone with an introduction on how the Swallow project has benefited the town centre footfall, enhanced a sense of civic pride, and gives the public another great reason to visit Enniskillen.

Mrs. McAloon highlighted the positive and long-lasting relationship that BID and Happy Days have created in recent years.

The swallows each have a story that relates to the building that they are located on, with the imaginative concept working well with the marketing of Enniskillen as a truly unique place.

The Swallows project is documented on the Experience Enniskillen website, and Mrs. McAloon explained that it is a popular feature on the Experience Enniskillen Map and Things to Do list that they produced monthly.

Sally Rees, Happy Days Festival Manager, along with Bernie Mooney, Education Manager, spoke about the legacy work that is needed with young people who are in education in Fermanagh.

She said that every school child should know the story of 'The Happy Prince', the Oscar Wilde tale that inspired the Swallows project, and that Enniskillen's association with Wilde and Beckett should be celebrated and studied by young people.

It was a fitting end to the special evening when Paul Sternberg, Co-Chair of Happy Days, announced that future plans are afoot with great excitement and anticipation.

Happy Days are seeking to maximise on this rich cultural heritage, especially the town's historic link with Wilde And Beckett.

This link has all kinds of ripple effects, not just creating a visual thread throughout the town through the swallows project, but also commercial opportunities, including jewellery and themed approaches, such as Beckett hair cuts, and Wilde gift hampers.

Mr. Sternberg added that Happy Days also aims to continue to engage with the business community via Enniskillen BID, linking Swallows to education and schools projects and to festivals.

The group is also examining funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to animate the swallows to tell their stories with the history of the buildings and businesses located in the buildings where the town-wide installation is featured.

The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor John McClaughry, UUP, was a guest but was delighted to close the event with a few words of encouragement for The Arts, and for the Happy Days group and their plans for Enniskillen.