Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen made headlines around the world in November 2023 when he released a Christmas video on the theme of loneliness during the festive season.

The pub posted the two-minute clip on their social media channels, where it was widely shared and viewed by millions of people around the world, as well as being picked up by media outlets in several different countries.

Now the Co Fermanagh bar is preparing to launch its 2024 installment, alerting its followers on social media ahead of Friday’s launch.

Owner Una Burns said last year’s video drew visitors to the bar from around the world.

“We have so many people coming into the pub even now because of the advert, asking about it and texting,” she told the Belfast Telegraph.

“We had a call last week from a lady in Cork asking if we were doing another one this year. I had the Italians over the weekend and they were telling me it was marked in one of their papers as the best Christmas ad ever. The weekend before, on Saturday night, we had a German come over. In fact, he brought with him a newspaper from December 2023 that advertised.

“It certainly brought people from all over the world to our doors.”

Watch: Northern Irish pub goes viral with delightful Christmas advert

The 2023 video showed an elderly man initially visiting a grave with a bouquet of flowers before walking down town to the pub, passing a number of disinterested bystanders.

He passes a young couple and their dog, who – off lead – head for the front door of Charlie’s Bar.

The couple hold the door for the man, who enters the pub and is given a pint of Guinness by a smiling barman as he sits in front of the fire.

The couple’s dog then moves on to join the man, who is eventually joined by the young couple.

The video ends with a quote from WB Yeats: “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.”

Mrs Burns said the campaign brought home the impact Christmas can have on those missing loved ones and also helped raise thousands for local charities.

“It was the first time I went down the path of a powerful video; ours are normally pretty easy on the pub, music or dancing side,” she said.

“The response has been phenomenal, nothing like we’ve ever experienced or will experience again.

“The biggest highlight was that we were able to use the viral response to raise £23,000 for Age NI and SWAP (South West Age Partnership).

“That meant local people benefited, so it wasn’t just a message, it was then turned into action. SWAP used the money locally to provide hot meals – in fact, they still use the money.

“The Dementia Singing Choir stopped due to a lack of funding in December 2023, but because of the funding we gave them, they were able to start again. Even the fact that John Lewis had recognized it and sent gifts; for a small, local, family business, I don’t think anyone would have expected that.”

Ms Burns remained tight-lipped about details of the 2024 installment, which is set to go live on the bar’s social media accounts at 7pm on Friday, November 29.

She said she needs to think long and hard about producing a second video.

“I was so torn; part of me felt like I didn’t want to take anything out because it’s never going to compare to last year,” the owner said.

“It got such a positive response that I thought it would be a lost opportunity not to put something out this year. We knew we had a good platform there, and if we could use that for something good, then why wouldn’t we?

“This year’s video takes inspiration from last year’s ad and is based on the experience we’ve had in the bar from customers over the years.

“Christmas can be tinged with sadness and there is again an actionable message in this year’s ad, but in a different light.

“It should be relatable to a lot of people, the message should resonate because it’s based on what staff have seen over the years in the bar.

“Like last year, there is no big budget and all the people are local, there is no professional acting experience. Everything was filmed on an iPhone.

“Without saying too much, there is continuity with some of last year’s cast, but maybe not in the way people expect.”