The Hawk's Well Theatre opened in

Sligo Town Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban cen ...

on 12 January 1982. Located next to Sligo's tourist office, it was the first purpose-built theatre in rural Ireland.

History

When the theatre opened on 12 January 1982, it was the first purpose-built theatre in 'rural Ireland'. The then president of Ireland,

Patrick Hillery Patrick John Hillery ( ga, Pádraig J. Ó hIrghile; 2 May 1923 – 12 April 2008) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the sixth president of Ireland from December 1976 to December 1990. He also served as vice-president of the Euro ...

, attended the opening. It was named after

W.B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

play ''

At the Hawk's Well ''At the Hawk's Well'' is a one-act play by William Butler Yeats, first performed in 1916 and published in 1917. It is one of five plays by Yeats which are loosely based on the stories of Cuchulain the mythological hero of ancient Ulster. It ...

'', and was a result of an initiative of the Arts Council and

Bord Fáilte Cucerdea ( hu, Oláhkocsárd, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bord (''Bord''), Cucerdea, and Șeulia de Mureș (''Oláhsályi''). The commune is located in the sout ...

. In 2002, it was the subject of an

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

television documentary on the "Townlands" series. In a 2019 article in '' The Irish World'', the theatre was described as "binding people together, bridging perceived boundaries and manifesting the spirit of enterprise which are intended to build a bright future for the local economy". As it approached its 40 year anniversary, the 340 seats in the theatre were scheduled to be replaced in August 2020.

Programmes

Since 1966, the theatre has hosted the Yeats Summer School, named after the Irish poet and dramatist

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

, who is associated with the region. The Sligo Fun Company is based at the theatre and organises theatrical productions and programmes for school-aged children.

Notable people

By 1993, the Hawk's Well theatre had developed some of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

's "premier actors". Other performers, associated with the theatre, include

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

members and Sligo natives

Shane Filan Shane Steven Filan (born 5 July 1979) is an Irish Pop music, pop singer. He is one of the two lead singers of pop vocal group Westlife, which was formed in 1998, disbanded in 2012, and regrouped in 2018. Westlife have released thirteen albums, ...

Kian Egan Kian John Francis Egan (born 29 April 1980) is an Irish Pop music, pop singer, songwriter and musician, best known as a member of pop group Westlife. Westlife has released twelve albums, embarked on thirteen world tours, and won numerous awards ...

and

Mark Feehily Markus "Mark" Michael Patrick Feehily (born 28 May 1980) is an Irish singer and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop vocal group Westlife. Westlife has released twelve albums, embarked on thirteen world tours and won several awards, becomin ...

. The performers had featured in the Sligo Fun Company's production of '' Grease'' while in secondary school. They then formed a six-member boyband with three other friends and played four nights at the theatre before Filan's mother contacted

Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later bec ...

, eventually leading to the formation of Westlife.

References

Notes

Sources

{{Theatres in Ireland 1982 establishments in Ireland Theatres in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in County Sligo Culture in County Sligo