COUNTRY music fans are set to pack out the Killyhevlin Hotel on Friday when the popular Derek Ryan stops off as part of his well-received Irish tour.
The 42-year-old from Carlow, who has set up home in Enniskillen, will take centre stage at the hotel in Enniskillen this weekend as he continues to lead the way in Country music in Ireland.
Derek has been a constant on the Country music scene for the best part of two decades and he’s now diversified his genre of music, following time spent in the States.
The Fermanagh man recently released his new album ‘Nashville’ which contains some songs and tracks that he produced in the US.
Derek, who is widely recognised as one of the top songwriters on the island, feels it’s important to embrace their creative talents.
“It’s been a busy few weeks, offstage and on. Excited to be working on new songs for myself and other artists. There’s plenty in the pipeline,” Derek said.
“Nashville is like nowhere else in the world. Every corner of the city is alive with music and storytelling.
“Being there pushed me to dig deeper, to write songs that celebrated storytelling, while still keeping the Irish country sound that my fans have come to know and love.”
Derek’s commitment to music is certainly not lost by industry experts, with the Fermanagh resident awarded four top accolades at the recent Northern Ireland Country Music Awards.
He was named as the ‘Best Male Artist’, ‘Best Songwriter’ and ‘New King of Country’, with his well-received collection ‘Long Shot Love’ named as ‘Best Album’.
While his focus lies on his upcoming gig at the Killyhevlin Hotel in Enniskillen on Friday, March 13, Derek has a number of big shows and performances coming up.
As part of his Irish tour, he’ll be headining shows in Sligo, Westmeath and Kildare this month, before two big gigs at the Hotel Kilmore in Cavan and at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in April.
