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theatre · Saturday 18 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
H.O.Q.I.A.
At Hawk's Well Theatre · Temple Street, Sligo, Co. Sligo
At Hawk's Well Theatre · Temple Street, Sligo, Co. Sligo
Gerry Farrell has been on Irish stages for over fifty years, and H.O.Q.I.A. - which stands for Heck Of a Quality Inspection Assured - shows exactly why audiences keep coming back. Described by Farrell himself as “Father Ted for the health services”, this one-man comedy takes direct aim at the world of healthcare audits, inspection culture, and the gap between what gets measured and what actually matters. If you have ever worked in healthcare, know someone who has, or simply recognise the peculiar panic that descends when an official visit is due, this is the show for you.
When the H.O.Q.I.A. inspector arrives at a nursing facility, the nurses go into full panic mode. First impressions must be flawless. Naturally, nothing goes to plan. What follows is a comedy of errors - mishaps, misunderstandings, and increasingly ridiculous situations piling on top of each other as the inspection lurches forward. Farrell, a Manorhamilton native now based in Sligo, brings genuine insider knowledge to the material: he worked for years as a psychiatric nurse before moving into psychotherapy, teaching at Trinity College Dublin and Sligo Institute of Technology. The comedy lands harder because the frustration underneath it is real.
His previous solo show, I Had to Go for Counselling, sold out two nights at this same venue. H.O.Q.I.A. has already toured to The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon and is premiering at Hawk’s Well in July before further dates. Expect a warm, characterful performance - broad enough to make a non-medical audience laugh out loud, sharp enough to give healthcare workers a knowing nod throughout.
Sligo town is well connected by road: the N4 comes from Dublin (roughly two and a half hours), the N17 from Galway, and the N15 from Donegal. Irish Rail runs direct services from Dublin Heuston to Sligo (about three hours), with the station a ten-minute walk from the town centre. Bus Eireann operates routes from Dublin, Galway, and Derry. Hawk’s Well Theatre is on Temple Street, close to the centre of town. Street parking is available nearby in the evening and there are car parks within a short walk.
Sligo is compact and easy to explore - Yeats country, a good food scene, and the wild Atlantic coast all within reach. There is more to see in Sligo and across Co. Sligo.
Heading to Hawk's Well Theatre in Sligo? Sligo has plenty more to see. Read the Sligo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.