The Hawk's Well Theatre opened in

Sligo Town Sligo ( ; , 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 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

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 (; 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 European Commission and Europea ...

, attended the opening. It was named after

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

play '' At the Hawk's Well'', and was a result of an initiative of the

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

and Bord Fáilte. In 2002, it was the subject of an

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

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

, 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 (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

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

Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...

members and Sligo natives

Shane Filan Shane Steven Filan (born 5 July 1979) is an Irish singer best known as a member of the pop vocal group Westlife, which was formed in 1998, disbanded in 2012, and regrouped in 2018. Westlife has released thirteen albums, embarked on twelve wor ...

, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. 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 (singer), Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s an ...

, eventually leading to the formation of Westlife.

References

Notes

Sources

{{Theatres in Ireland 1982 establishments in Ireland Buildings and structures in Sligo (town) Culture in Sligo (town) Organisations based in Sligo (town) Theatres in the Republic of Ireland