Hawk's Well Theatre

Hawk's Well Theatre
Hawk's Well Theatre is located in Ireland
Hawk's Well Theatre
Hawk's Well Theatre
Location within Ireland
AddressTemple Street
LocationSligo F91 EDE9, Republic of Ireland
Coordinates54°16′08″N 8°28′37″W / 54.269°N 8.477°W / 54.269; -8.477
Capacity340
Opened12 January 1982; 42 years ago (1982-01-12)
Website
www.hawkswell.com

The Hawk's Well Theatre opened in Sligo Town on 12 January 1982.[1] Located next to Sligo's tourist office,[2] it was the first purpose-built theatre in rural Ireland.[3]

History

When the theatre opened on 12 January 1982,[1] it was the first purpose-built theatre in 'rural Ireland'.[3][a] The then president of Ireland, Patrick Hillery, attended the opening.[4] It was named after W. B. Yeats play At the Hawk's Well,[2] and was a result of an initiative of the Arts Council and Bord Fáilte.[3]

In 2002, it was the subject of an RTÉ television documentary on the "Townlands" series.[3]

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".[5]

As it approached its 40 year anniversary, the 340 seats in the theatre were scheduled to be replaced in August 2020.[6][needs update]

Programmes

Since 1966, the theatre has hosted the Yeats Summer School, named after the Irish poet and dramatist W. B. Yeats, who is associated with the region.[7] The Sligo Fun Company is based at the theatre and organises theatrical productions and programmes for school-aged children.[citation needed]

Notable people

By 1993, the Hawk's Well theatre had developed some of Ireland's "premier actors".[8][who?] Other performers, associated with the theatre, include Westlife members and Sligo natives Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. The performers had featured in the Sligo Fun Company's production of Grease while in secondary school.[9] 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, eventually leading to the formation of Westlife.[3]

References

Notes

  1. ^ While Sligo Town is an urban area of population c. 20,000 the surrounding county and province of Connacht is predominantly rural

Sources

  1. ^ a b "History". Hawkswell.com. 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b Felton, Robert Todd (2007). A Journey into Ireland's literary revival. Berkeley : Roaring Forties Press. p. 166. ISBN 9780976670674. OCLC 493894846.
  3. ^ a b c d e "RTÉ documentary charts 20 years of Hawk's Well". Sligo Champion. 1 August 2002. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  4. ^ Meehan, Michael J. (2020). "Rite of Passage for a New Theatre" (PDF). The Corran Herald. No. 52. Ballymote Heritage Group. p. 47.
  5. ^ "Bridging geography, generations and musical styles at Hawk's Well Theatre". Irish World (London). 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Public RFT - HWT Seating - The Supply And Installation Of Theatre Seating". irl.eu-supply.com. 2020.
  7. ^ "Hawk's Well theatre calling on the public to share their memories as it celebrates 40 years". Sligo Champion. Independent News & Media. 13 May 2022.
  8. ^ O'Drisceoil, Proinsias (1 March 1993). Culture in Ireland: Regions - Identity and Power. Belfast: The Institute of Irish studies, the Queen's University of Belfast. p. 105. ISBN 9780853894766. OCLC 852799191.
  9. ^ Gray, Jim (6 April 2011). "Westlife Going Back to Their Roots". Sligo Champion. Independent News & Media.