Ardhowen Theatre

I’ve been there a couple of times during my four months in Enniskillen. Saw some comedys and a schoolproject for Shakespeare’s «A midsummer nights dream» — everything was acted with a lot of heart and passion. We had a good time, each time we visited the Ardhowen.
Special clou: come by boat over the Upper Lough Erne and park it at the Ardhowen-​Jetty!

The Ardhowen Theatre is just on the edge of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, which itself is situated 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.