For almost four hours one wild Sunday evening, close to 100 people were enclosed in their own bubble and were treated to the unique talents of Seamus O’Rourke and Janus Figure as ‘Trad Under the Trees’ returned for a second year.

And despite the weather forcing the abandonment of the outdoor setting of Castle Caldwell and relocation to Finn Lough and one of their bubble domes, it did not lessen the experience for all in attendance.

Those who came to Finn Lough with their food and drink were delighted the evening was going ahead and had not fallen foul of the weather.

Seamus O’Rourke took to the stage first to present to the audience his character, ‘Mossy Flood’.

Mossy is a Longford man who can certainly tell a story.

Full of dark humour, Mossy delved into some of the aspects of his life, such as the pub, a failed love life, the close relationship between mother and son, a father who was a “practising alcoholic”, death and other parts of modern society.

A “bit of an oddball who does be in my own little bubble”, the one-man show had the audience laughing along to the long and winding stories that were connected in some way or other. 

While it may have appeared that Mossy was not destined for much luck in his life, things had a way of working out in his favour.

From start to finish, it was an engrossing performance from the Leitrim actor whose ramblings as Mossy resonated with the audience, some of whom had possibly experienced similar experiences in their own lives.

As he said himself: “Reality is no place to be in this day and age.” And for a time, the audience in the bubble was removed from their realities and into the world of Mossy Flood.

With a standing ovation, O’Rourke left the stage and Janus Figure took his place

For many locals, the Trad and Folk group Janus Figure was well-known as part of the music scene during the 1990s. Playing music across Fermanagh and beyond, the Magee brothers, John and Conor, accompanied by Paddy Tunney, retired Janus Figure in 1998.

And while the first part saw the audience glued to their seats, Janus Figure had some up on their feet and dancing as the night closed in outside.

With the wind and rain spreading across Lough Erne outside the bubble, ‘Lonesome Boatman’ sent shivers down the spine.

It was just one of the many brilliant songs and instrumentals played by the band, who could have easily played on long into the night to an audience who did not want the brilliant evening to come to an end.

All that is left now is to see how Trad Under The Trees next year can be even better.