More than two decades have passed since Enjoy Travel took the brave steps to bring music lovers and dancers to Spain in what was a truly novel venture at the time. Spain, and later Portugal, became their prime destinations.

Since then, many others have followed in their footsteps with a number of promoters and entertainers organising their own annual ventures. Amazingly, very few of these have ventured outside the two countries chosen by Enjoy Travel when they became the pioneers of the overseas outlets.

Behind the Enjoy Travel venture is a Mayo man who spent 20 years in a high-profile managerial job with Bord Fáilte in the English midlands. Gerry Flynn hails from Ardnaree, Ballina, and he and his family operate the Enjoy Travel company which is based in Blackburn. Like many other families, especially from the western seaboard counties, the Flynn family upped roots and moved to England when Gerry was in his teens.

The venture started off with less than 200 people and the first two or three years saw them travel by boat from England to France and overland on coaches down to Spain.

“It was a risky venture but once we got the flights organised and hotels sourced in the right places, things began to fall into place,” says Gerry.

Ibiza provided the flagship destination for around 10 years. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, around 2,500 people made the journey to the Sirenis Seaview Country Club near San Antonio on the island.

People loved the relaxed mood of the island in late April prior to the advent of the real tourist season, which kicks in around June. The vast bulk of the revellers were from Ireland and the UK, with many making the trip year after year.

What started out as a céilí and set dancing venture gradually expanded to cater for the country music followers, with Ibiza becoming the Oscars of the overseas music holidays.

“The recession around 2008 came out of the blue and hit every business hard,” says Gerry. “People were losing jobs and no longer had the same money at their disposal for overseas holidays. There was also huge volatility in the airline business, especially the charter airlines, with a number of them going out of business.

“We could no longer take a chance on using charter flights to Ibiza as we had for some years before that. We had to take a decision to relocate to mainland Spain and allow people make their own travel arrangements with low-cost carriers or scheduled airlines. That’s how it has been now for the last number of years.”

April is one of the busiest months of the year for Enjoy Travel. The April date in Andalucía is a 10-day event held in the Amaragua Hotel in Torremolinos (there is also a seven-day option). This year’s trip is from 18-28 April.

Located right on the seafront and beside the cherished promenade, Torremolinos has proven to be the most popular April destination since Ibiza. Among the entertainers this April are Art Supple, Showbud, Brendan McGee and Eugene Cunningham, Pat McKenna and Hughie Turner (Glenshane Country), Philomena and Michael O’Brien, J & K Country, Moynihan Brothers, Caitlin Murtagh, Stephen Smyth, Pat Jordan, Showband Sounds, Nicky James, and the Enjoy Travel International Showband.

Providing music for the céilí and set dancers will be the Matt Cunningham Band, the Johnny Reidy Band, and the Salamanca and Ceól Na Mara Céili bands.

Clonmel man Mick Mackey is the fear an tí for the hugely popular nightly music, singing and story-telling sessions in the lounge.

Three years ago, Gerry and the company launched the Costa del Folk, a new departure for the company and one which is focused mainly on the UK folk scene. Mike Harding, who presented the Folk Show on BBC Radio for many years, is the compere for these events which have continued to expand.

From 25 April to 1 May, the Folk Festival is being staged in Ibiza with Enjoy Travel returning to the Seaview Country Club for the first time since 2011.

“The vast bulk of the acts are from the UK scene where the Irish influence is very strong. We have had headline acts such as Eleanor Shanley and De Danann as well as Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention since we launched the Folk Festival. The Mighty Doonans and Show of Hands are also hugely popular on this circuit,” says Gerry.

The Welcome Home Enniscrone five-day festival will be held in the Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone in the middle of June, while Enjoy Travel will have its regular Portugal venture in October along with the second Folk Festival, also in Portugal. There is also the annual Trip to Tipp, which is held in Clonmel each November. Before that, they have their second Carter On The Costa week in Benalmadena from 30 September to 6 October.

“Nathan got his first big break with us when we took him out as a guest performer to Ibiza when he was just 16 years old. He has never forgotten that and he was so pleased with our first venture last year that he asked us to organise and run this year’s one for him as well.

“Joining Nathan will be Cliona Hagan, Gerry Guthrie, Lisa McHugh, Philomena Begley, Johnny Brady, Barry Kirwan, Shane Owens, Hugo Duncan, Jake Carter, Stuart Moyles, and Nicky James.”

• For more details on all the Enjoy Travel holiday promotions, visit www.enjoytravel.co.uk or call the office in Blackburn on 0044 1254 504970. CL