Rewildeing Enniskillen

WildeDay Comes to Enniskillen

Enniskillen is celebrating its unique connection with Oscar Wilde with the first-ever WildeDay — a free celebration bringing Wilde’s words, wit and imagination to the streets of Ireland’s only island town.

The two-day celebration begins with a launch on Friday 16 October, with the main programme taking place across Enniskillen on Saturday 17 October, from 10am to 4pm.

Inspired by the spirit of Bloomsday, WildeDay will feature approximately 20 events throughout the town, with businesses, venues and public spaces becoming stages for live music, drama, dance, readings and performances. Victorian-period costumes will add to the atmosphere — and if you look closely, you might even spot Oscar Wilde himself!

The event celebrates Wilde’s literary legacy while highlighting the creativity, culture and community spirit of modern-day Enniskillen and Fermanagh. With activities taking place throughout the town, WildeDay offers something for all ages and is accessible to everyone.

Wilde and Enniskillen

Oscar Wilde spent seven formative years at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, where he was a boarder from 1864 to 1871. His time in Fermanagh is believed to have influenced his writing, including his much-loved fairy tale The Happy Prince.

Local tradition has connected elements of the story with Enniskillen landmarks, including the Cole Monument on Fort Hill, which is often associated with the statue of the Happy Prince in Wilde’s tale.

Visitors can also discover Wilde’s connection to the town through the Follow the Swallow trail, inspired by the loyal swallow from The Happy Prince.

Wilde At Heart & Wilde Romantic Way

WildeDay also marks the launch of Wilde At Heart, a new public art project by Milligan Studio featuring 30 sculptural artworks carrying text from The Happy Prince. The project builds on Enniskillen’s 2021 installation of more than 100 golden swallows, designed by Simon Carman and Helen Sharp.

Inspired by Wilde’s childhood in Enniskillen, the town’s fairytale-like landscape and the surrounding Fermanagh Lakelands, the project further celebrates the town’s literary heritage.

The Wilde Romantic Way will also launch, introducing the first of nine cross-border Literary Ways, including A Walk on the Wilde Side, Follow the Swallow Trails and The House Beautiful.

Join us in Enniskillen for a celebration of literature, music, theatre, art and performance, and discover the town through the eyes and imagination of one of the world’s most celebrated literary figures.

WildeDay is supported by Happy Days EIBF, Experience Enniskillen and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The wider projects are supported by a UK Heritage Lottery Innovation Award, Enniskillen BID, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Interreg Northern Peripheries & Arctic.