Sligo Town

The capital of County Sligo is an attractive town with good bars and restaurants, theatres, art galleries and delicatessens. Sligo is the largest town in the north-west, with a heritage going back 6,000 years.

Its name literally translates as 'the place of shells' - the town's prehistoric residents had a huge appetite for shellfish, and the remains of the unfortunate crustaceans can be found buried all over the area. Sligo town makes a good base for a range of activities - horse riding, golfing, walking, cycling, fishing and water sports are all very popular.

Sligo Art Gallery

Located in the Yeats memorial Building, the Gallery was founded in 1977 under the auspices of the Yeats Society to provide exhibition facilities for all art forms. The gallery houses ten to twelve major exhibitions annually. There are in addition a number of showings and art projects which involve active public participation.

The Yeats Theatre

The group comprises a membership of great theatrical experience, encompassing all necessary elements from directorial, acting and production expertise. The members are from well known Theatre families vastly experienced in the stage adaptation of the plays of WB Yeats; having at one time or other taken part in their production in Sligo and beyond. The formation of the Yeats Theatre Company is intended as a permanent vehicle for Yeats plays in Sligo. In the short term it is envisaged that high quality productions of Yeat's works will be staged in conjunction with the International Yeats Summer School and for Sligo and visiting audiences. In the medium term to engender cross border links with the assistance of the Cultural Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. In the long term, we plan to develop the touring potential of the Yeats plays on a national and international scale. (e.g., University Circuit USA) Furthermore, it is also our intention to develop a film/VCR archive of all productions with potential for distribution.

Sligo Arts Festival

Sligo Arts Festival takes place at many venues throughout the town, including the Hawkswell Theatre, The Model Arts Centre, Sligo Art Gallery, The Tower Hotel, The Blue Lagoon music venue and many more. All are within easy walking distance of each other which makes a change from 'city' art festivals. Established in 1986, the festival is one of the main annual events on the entertainment calendar and has featured many big events since its inception.