From modest beginnings the Blackstairs Blues Festival has become one of the pre-eminent gatherings for Blues followers in the country. The original aim was simple – to act as a catalyst to attract visitors to Enniscorthy and in particular to cater for the devotees of Blues music.

Inspiration for the title of the Festival came from some of the original organisers who were natives of the foothills of the Blackstairs Mountains and the valley of the Boro River, an area termed as ‘disadvantaged’ and as a result had a feel for the melancholy mood of the Blues as the deprived Black people had from the Banks of the great Mississippi River in the cotton pickin’ States of the U.S.A.

Some 106 Bands have played at the Festival, some more than once. Enniscorthy is a very suitable venue for the Festival; it is a gem of an Irish town situated on the Banks of the Slaney in the centre of the Model County.

The refurbished Enniscorthy Castle stands proudly in the heart of the town betwixt historic Vinegar Hill and Pugin’s Cathedral.

Enniscorthy will be the Mecca on the weekend of the 13th – 15th September for all lovers of the Blues.