MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS have lined up to pay tribute to Barry Ennis, a music promoter from Wexford who was well known on the Irish music scene who died suddenly yesterday.
He has been described as an “immense loss to the music world in Wexford”, “an inventive and bold promoter” and a “gracious and generous host”.
Social media has been inundated with tributes and anecdotes from the arts community in Wexford and musicians from home and abroad.
Paul Heaton, from the band Beautiful South, said he was “a man who we all felt privileged to know”.
https://www.facebook.com/paulheatonofficial/posts/10154096810787623
Irish band Villagers praised Ennis as a “gentlemen” and a “fantastic promoter” of music.
A former presenter of the Morning Mix on South East Radio shared a story about Ennis, who turned up unexpectedly in studio with Jimmy Osmond, whom he’d brought to Ireland to do a few shows.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=405194853150545
Tributes began last night and persisted into this morning from people and groups from Wexford and beyond.
Wallis Bird said Ennis was “an unforgettable man with a lust for ideas”, and added “your legacy is strong Barry”.
The band Cry Before Dawn praised him as a “great friend” who was part of the push to get the band playing again.
https://www.facebook.com/wexfordartscentre/posts/1401972033207104
Stories of Ennis’ skill for booking acts and events are well-known throughout Wexford.
He managed to book Imelda May for White’s Hotel back in 2009, with a crowd of 850 packing out the venue after he seized the initiative by reaching out to her manager.
He told the Wexford People: “I rang her manager on the mobile and he just happened to be in Ireland at the time so I offered to collect him at the hotel and drive him to the airport.
“We chatted along the way and I honestly believe that if I had just emailed him, the concert would never have happened.”
His company, Lantern.ie, also ran the successful Spiegeltent Festival, which was said to have attracted over 17,000 people to Wexford town last year.
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