Enjoy Travel MD, Gerry Flynn, prides himself on having giving Nathan Carter his first major break in the business. Along with encouragement from Dermot Hegarty, Gerry decided to take the then 16-year-old Liverpool singer on his first overseas trip as part of the Enjoy Travel annual Ibiza extravaganza.

A few years down the line and Nathan is right up there as a leading attraction on the circuit on both sides of the Irish Sea – and he has never forgotten where he got his first major break.

“Being invited as a guest on the Enjoy Travel trip to Ibiza was an amazing experience for me at the age of 16,” says Nathan. “My earlier years were mainly associated with Comhaltas and performing on the Fleadh circuit. Ibiza introduced me to a whole new audience from every county in Ireland, as well as so many people from the UK.

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“Those Enjoy Travel trips to Ibiza were huge and were definitely by far the biggest of the Irish-themed overseas holiday promotions.

“There was an amazing atmosphere and I have no doubt at all that being invited as one of the guests played a central role in the entire success of my career.”

Last year, Nathan returned the compliment by having Enjoy Travel coordinate his first Carter on the Costa overseas holiday venture. It was a resounding success and Nathan and his manager John Farry and Gerry Flynn have once again teamed up for the 2016 venture.

It will be staged in the Torrequenrada Hotel in Benalmadena on the Costa Del Sol from 1-7 October. Among the guests who will join Nathan and his band are Johnny Brady, Philomena Begley, Gerry Guthrie, Cliona Hagen, Lisa McHugh, Hugo Duncan, Shane Owens, Brandan McPhee, Stuart Moyles, Conan Gallen and Nicky James.

“We are delighted to be promoting Nathan’s week on the Costa Del Sol,” says Gerry Flynn. “He has surged to the top and there is great interest in this holiday from both sides of the Irish Sea. We are expecting it to be a complete sellout.”

Enjoy Travel

Enjoy Travel was the pioneer of the overseas music holidays from Ireland and the UK. The company, founded by Mayo native Gerry Flynn, who was regional midlands manager (UK) for Bord Fáilte for many years, has been promoting trips to Spain and Portugal for two decades now.

The next major trip is the April in Andalucia, which this year is two weeks earlier, running from 8-18 April. The April venture enjoyed many great seasons on the island of Ibiza before moving to the Spanish mainland over the last three years. It is now located at the Hotel Amaragua in the lovely town of Torremolinos.

This is a 10-night promotion that attracts close on 800 people on an annual basis, the vast majority of whom return year after year. Many well-known names from the country circuit in Ireland are joined by a number of céilí bands for the set dances, while Clonmel man Mick Mackey conducts the hugely popular nightly sessions in the lounge.

Enjoy Travel is launching a new venture in September with their first trip to Poland. The Craic in Krakow runs from 5-12 September. Prior to that, Enjoy Travel will present Enniscrone 2016 from 12-17 June in the Diamond Coast Hotel. The Enniscrone venture started some years ago and is a popular destination for folk from Ireland and the UK.

Among the artists for this June are Dermot Hegarty, The Murphys, Eddie Gallagher, Ciaran Rosney, Caitlin Murtagh, Phil Begley, Brendan Magee, Pat Jordan, Dave Lawlor, Stuart Moyles, Glenshane Country, Art Supple, Michael Fox, and the Enjoy Travel Showband. A number of céilí bands are also included in the lineup.

The Party in Portugal is from 7-16 October and the venue is the Tivoli Hotel in Carvoeiro. Portugal has been an October destination for the Enjoy Travel patrons for several years. Many of the regular artists, along with some new names, have been booked for this gathering in Portugal.

The final Enjoy Travel promotion of 2016 is the well-established Trip to Tipp, which is coordinated by Mick Mackey and is based in the Clonmel Park Hotel. This runs from the 11-14 November and among the acts are Brendan Shine, Glen Flynn duo, Art Supple, Eamonn Jackson, Paddy Jordan, Just Two, Nicky James, Matt Cunningham, and Taylors Cross and the Salamanca céili bands.

“We have been blessed to have such loyal patrons in every county on the island of Ireland as well as so many others around the UK,” says Gerry.

“Our shows are different from many others and incorporate a great variety of entertainment, from the music to the sessions to song-writing workshops as well as dance and instrument classes. After more than 20 years in the business, we have accumulated a vast experience of what is important to our clients. We are so glad that they continue to endorse us year after year.”

• For further details of Carter on the Costa, visit enjoytravel.co.uk or nathancartermusic.com. For details of all the Enjoy Travel promotions mentioned above, contact their head office in Blackburn on 0044-1254-445050 or 0044-1254-504970.