Enniskillen will host its first WildeDay, a free public celebration of Oscar Wilde’s connection to the town, across two days in October.

A launch event is scheduled for Friday, October 16, with the main festival taking place on Saturday, October 17, from 10am to 4pm. The programme includes live music, drama, dance, readings and performances, with participants wearing Victorian costume.

Wilde attended Portora Royal School in Enniskillen as a boarder from 1864 to 1871, enrolling at the age of 10 alongside his brother Willie. His interest in classics and writing developed during these years, and the Fermanagh Lakelands are believed to have influenced his story The Happy Prince.

Local tradition links the Cole Monument on Fort Hill to the statue of the prince in the tale, and the town now has a ‘Follow the Swallow’ trail inspired by the swallow in the story.

Fermanagh Lakelands, the body organising the event, said the festival is intended to celebrate both Wilde’s literary legacy and the creativity that continues in Enniskillen and Fermanagh today. Members of the local arts community, businesses and residents are collaborating to stage performances in public spaces and commercial premises throughout the town.