The community around Derrygonnelly will be welcoming visitors to the village this weekend as the 29th anniversary Eddie Duffy and Mick Hoy Memorial Traditional Music Festival is held. Opening tomorrow(Friday), September 26, it continues throughout Saturday and Sunday.

The opening concert takes place on Friday evening in the Community Centre with the headline acts including the Knockmore Ceili Band and Michael Curran.

On Saturday, however, there are various events including arts and crafts at the Tir Navar Centre between 12noon and 2pm with an exhibition of the late Liam Elliott in Doogies Bar.

Another major community event will be a craft fair and auction in Derrygonnelly Orange Hall between 2pm and 6pm.

The Orange Hall, built in 1889, has fallen into disrepear in recent years and is now the subject of a £865,400 Heritage Lottery Fund grant for renovation and transformation for mixed use community space by the Sillees River Social and Cultural Society.

This weekend’s event will involve some of fundraising required for the applicants to reach the next stage of the funding process.

Among the items for auction are the popular trailor loads of firewood but there are also two pigs.

Throughout Saturday, there are also music sessions in local pubs.

On Sunday, the Festival finale will be held with street entertainment between 2pm and 5pm.