The Ardhowen Theatre is just on the edge of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, which itself is…read moresituated on the short stretch of river between the twin upper & lower lakes of Lough Erne, and it's a beautiful riverside location that this theatre has. Housed in a attractive modern building, (bright & airy, with lots of glass on the exterior), it opened only in 1986, and essentially comprises of a 290 seat raked auditorium. Through work and pastime I've been to a great number of theatres across Ireland & the UK and you learn to recognize excellent facilities when you see them, and this is a really lovely space. Considerable thought has gone into the layout, so that genuinely no audience member has a worse seat than another or restricted view, and the acoustics are superb. The theatre justifiably attracts the cream of professional touring theatre, Enniskillen being officially northern Ireland you get a number of English companies coming here, as well as Irish, and there's everything from contemporary dance through to ballet & live music as well. Legendary Irish pianist & songwriter Phil Coulter, (whose song Scorn not his Simplicity, as sung by either Luke Kelly or Sinéad O'Connor, is one of my favourites), had just been performing here the night before the group I was in was let loose upon the place! We were made to feel genuinely welcome by everyone from the technician to the box office staff, (I had a particularly interesting conversation with the 'techie' about poteen)! Anyone whose toured around lots of theatres, knows the importance of a warm welcome, and this was a real hospitable Irish welcome here in Enniskillen. Good memories for me at The Ardhowen.

What a pub! A cosy spot nestled on Bridge Street, gets very busy at weekends but its all part of…read morethe atmosphere. The barman are brilliant, so friendly and accommodating, and you're not standing 4 deep from the bar to order a drink like other places. On Friday's they host a regular vinyl night from Turn It On, a pretty unique night out for Sligo and its consistently good - they mix it up with a range of different people playing their vinyl collections on the decks every week, it could be shoegaze one night, house another! There's always some sort of music night on here, on various nights of the week - they're quite active on social media, so check out their facebook page to see whats on. The drink prices are unbeatable, you'll have change from a tenner if you order two spirits (and a dash in each). There's a tiny wee smoking area down the back near the toilets, which is likely part of its attraction, so you're not left loitering outside the front door on the street - you still feel part of the place, by not leaving the building. The interior is standard for an Irish pub but there's a eclectic collections of curios behind the bar - reflecting the owner Paul's tastes, and by extension the cooler clientele it attracts - stickers from the famous Ace Bar in London for example. Its a really great night out if you're in Sligo, and you'll meet some interesting people here - of all ages.

From the owner: Furey's Pub Overview Close to the banks of the Garravogue…read moreFurey's Pub on Bridge St. is one of Sligo's Traditional Irish Pubs. Set in the Heart of the town, Furey's is a cosy pub frequented by locals and enjoyed by visitors and tourists alike. If you like a cosy ambiance with a lively atmosphere created by friendly conversation, then pop into Paul for a pint or two. Really friendly staff will shortly have you feeling at ease and the "craic" really begins at night when the music comes on. A great venue for live music from Traditional Irish to Blues you will have great memories of your visit to Furey's Pub.

Great modern venue,clean and welcoming. Friendly and efficient staff. Visited here for a show by…read moreThe Nualas mid April and it was a laugh a minute. Unfortunately guys for woman's ears mostly! U might not be impressed to hear what we really think. Disappointingly for The Nualas the audience was pretty small, especially with the original Nuala a native sligo woman herself. But they made light of it and really engaged with the audience. Good sign when u have a sore face from laughing on exit ;)

An artistic asset to Sligo, and the North-West! There's always something going on here - informal…read moremusic afternoons, to weekend music and comedy gigs, film screenings from the Sligo Film Society to the semi-regular Sligo Flea Market. The Niland Collection (with a selection of Sligo's most famous artistic son - Jack B Yeats paintings) is now on permanent display, coupled with regular contemporary art exhibitions. The beautiful old Model school building hosts two exhibition spaces, an education room for family and children events, 'Room' - a space for artists in residence to curate smaller exhibitions, a large cinema/gig space, and sometimes the venue can be hired privately for weddings. The bright and airy atrium is a lovely place to meet and catch up with friends. During the summer there are regular tours of the gallery space, and the Niland collection.

From the owner: The Model, home of the Niland Collection is one of Ireland's leading contemporary arts centre. It…read moreis due to reopen in Spring 2010 after an extensive redevelopment phase. The extension will provide new, exemplary, artist studios, a purpose-built performance space and a new entrance from a new civic plaza. The extension will also allow for new gallery to form a complete Gallery circuit for the visitor, a new reception are and bookstore and a new destination restaurant. The award winning building is home to the impressive Niland Collection, featuring works by John and Jack B. Yeats, Estella Solomons, Paul Henry and Louis Le Broquy among others.