Latest News
Cork YMA – Leaderboard Competition Winners 2011
A champion calf at the YMA Show
Another fantastic national final for the YMA
The YMA National Calf Show once again proved to be one of the most colourful events of The Hub’s calendar with clubs from all over the country competing for national honours.
Denzel enjoys a grooming!
Finlay waits patiently to be judged.
Great crowds for the Canine Show!
The Kilkenny & District Canine Championship Show drew their biggest crowds ever to this year’s show at The Hub in June. 1200 pedigree dogs were put through their paces and judged by some of the industry’s top international judges. Thankfully, the rain held off and resulted in a festive atmosphere for the day. Congratulations to all involved in making this such a great event!
The team from Beechdale Plants Plus Garden Centre
Whites Nurseries keep it in the family!
South-East Garden Show draws the crowds again
The South-East Garden Show braved the elements last weekend and the organisers and exhibitors were rewarded with great crowds on Saturday and Sunday. With such bargains and colour on offer, it’s no wonder so many left The Hub with smiling faces and arms heavy with plants, flowers, gardening and home equipment!
A happy just-shorn sheep & handler backstage at the Sheep Shearing Championships!
‘Sheep & Wool Festival in Kilkenny wins hands down for the shear craic’
The Irish Times summed it up perfectly with this headline (06/06/2011)! Read the Irish TImes article here.
Thousands of people from Kilkenny and all over Ireland flocked to Cillin Hill for the Sheep Shearing & Wool Festival. The craic was mighty with a fantastic range of activities for all the family. The main event of course was the shearing – a dazzling display of strength, skill and stamina by all competitors. Hats off, too, to Jeff Collier, who showed unbelievable determination to complete his 24-hr shear in aid of Aware and Barnardos. Then there was the food, art and craft trail in The Hub, the visual art project co-ordinated by Kilkenny Arts Office, the Young Shepherd Competition, the Sheepdog Trials, the Pedigree Championship, the hilarious wrestling display, the magician, the funfair…. And Damien O’Reilly from RTE Radio’s ‘Countrywide’, who sheared his first sheep live on air!
Thank you to everyone who came along and made the event such a huge success and congratulations to the team from Clara for their fantastic organisation, super team of volunteers and tremendous spirit!
Finale of Irish Motorsport Expo
Irish Motorsport Expo a Roaring Success!
The first ever Irish Motorsport Expo was a roaring success at The Hub! From the Gearbox Challenge, to the Tyre Change competition (new record: 49 seconds!) to the unveiling of The Stig (good man Andy!), the entertainment was non-stop! Safety was also high on the agenda, with a fantastic roadshow from the RSA. With some amazing cars on display and the grand finale of a fantastic rally display by event sponsor James Coleman, this was a wonderful celebration of all that is great about motorsport in Ireland.
Johnny & Mary get married by D’Unbelievables, 2nd April
D’Unbelievables put on “One Hell
Of A Do!”
We’re still laughing after the four fantastic sold out nights with D’Unbelievables at The Hub. We hope Johnny & Mary are enjoying their honeymoon, that Ina’s varicose veins are better and that no-one went home with a bad ‘chisht’! Lots more photos available on D’Unbelievables Official Facebook page.
Tommy Fleming at the Hub
Tommy Fleming puts on a great show at The Hub!
One of Ireland’s leading entertainers enthralled the capacity audience at The Hub on his first performance here. Joined on stage by his own band and the wonderful Irish Concert Orchestra, Tommy delighted the enthusiastic crowd with all the favourites including 'You Raise Me Up', 'You’ll Never Walk Alone' and 'Hard Times'.
Mick Burke (The Hub), Sharon Shannon, Imelda May and Maeve Butler (The Hub)
Sharon Shannon, Imelda May, Mundy, Dessie O’Halloran: Another fantastic night at The Hub!
It was another packed out night at The Hub for Sharon Shannon, Imelda May, Mundy & Dessie O’Halloran on 30 Dec. Sharon led the way with a string of her top tunes including 'Potholes', 'Blackbird' and 'Rathlin Island', Dessie had the crowd singing 'Say You Love Me', Mundy rocked the house with 'Mexico' and Imelda produced a stomping set, which included 'Johnny Got a Boom Boom' and 'Mayhem', before the grand finale with everyone back on stage for 'Galway Girl'. A fantastic night!
Modern Home Show
Modern Homes Show another great success at THE HUB
The Modern Homes & Building Exhibition was another great success at THE HUB in November. Despite the economic recession, the public came along in their thousands, armed with their plans and drawings, to discuss building, renovating, extending or improving their homes. For those creating a brand new home, weary of their interior décor, or simply curious to see what contemporary and environmentally-friendly products and services are available to do with home or garden, there was something for everyone at this great event. We’re already looking forward to the 2011 show!
Monster Bingo
Huge crowds return for Monster Bingo!
Eyes down! One of the biggest bingo events of the year took place at THE HUB in November. 1300 avid bingo fans came along to take their chance to win up to EUR15,000 in prize money in what has become an annual event in aid of Gowran Parish.
Kilkenny Motor Show
Kilkenny Motor Show survives the snow & draws record crowds!
The inaugural Kilkenny Motor Show survived the first of the very heavy spells of snow at the end of November and drew crowds of over 10,000 to check out the new 2011 models on offer. Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Opel, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Skoda, Nissan, Citroen, Honda and Renault presented their marques in pristine condition and this family event proved to be a huge hit with the customers and dealers. Congratulations to all involved for the vision and the dedication to make this event such a tremendous success.
Kris Kristofferson with Barry Ennis (promoter) and Maeve Butler (The Hub)
An amazing night for Kris Kristofferson fans
Kris Kristofferson showed just what a truly great performer he is when he took to the stage at The Hub. From the opening bars of ‘Shipwrecked in the 80s’ To his fourth encore ‘Why Me, Lord’, he had the 1400-strong audience in the palm of his hand. Telling stories through his songs and cracking jokes about his advancing years, this was a master-class in entertainment. No bells and whistles, just great songs, great stories and a great guy.
Jedward and The Hub team
Jedward rock The Hub!
Jedward rocked The Hub with their concert on Monday 9th August! The capacity crowd of 1400 had a great time and a very lucky few even got to the meet the twins before the show. We want to say a big thank you to all the Jedward fans for making this concert such a great night and we look forward to seeing everyone again before too long!
Tommy Tiernan with The Hub team
Tommy Tiernan raises the roof at The Hub!
In his first gig in Kilkenny this year, Tommy Tiernan raised the roof at The Hub with an outstanding performance that had the capacity crowd in the palm of his hand! Fans who had travelled from all over Ireland, North and South, were thrilled with the show, and with the special guest comedian Colm O’Regan. Here’s hoping it won’t be long before Tommy is back at The Hub!
(l-r) Mick Burke (The Hub), Christy Moore, Maeve Butler (The Hub), Declan Sinnott
Christy Moore plays a stormer at The Hub
The legendary Christy Moore, along with the wonderful Declan Sinnott, played a stormer at The Hub in July. The atmosphere for the packed gig was fantastic and we were delighted with what Christy had to say about The Hub: “What a superb new venue for Kilkenny. Congratulations to everyone concerned. To those who had the foresight to create this new space, to the staff who pulled out all the stops… As always, the Kilkenny audience created a wonderful atmosphere. Declan and I had a great night and we look forward to our next gig at The Hub. Thumbs up to The Cats.”
Kilkenny Tuner Show
The ultimate modified car event! AJS Promotions presented an exciting exhibition and live stunt show to entertain the crowds at The Hub recently. The exhibition included Michael Schumacher’s Formula 1-winning Ferrari, while the stunt show by legendary stuntman Terry Grant enthralled the crowd outside.
Keith Barry packs out two nights at The Hub!
The fantastic Keith Barry packed out two nights at The Hub recently and had the audience in the palm of his hand each night. With a hilarious show involving lots of audience participation, there was nothing Keith wouldn’t do to keep the crowd entertained. Superb energy, ideas, pace and skill – What a great showman! And he had plenty of time for his fans after the show.
Mary Black at The Hub
Photo: Eoin Hennessy
Mary Black enthrals audience at
The Hub
Ireland’s leading female singer, the legendary Mary Black enthralled and entertained the audience at THE HUB recently with her sublime voice and down-to-earth repartee. Widely recognised as one of the finest female vocalists in the world, with a distinguished career spanning over 25 years, Mary Black has become a seminal figure in Irish music history and is one of the top artists responsible for the popularity of Irish music on the world stage. With seven platinum solo albums - including No Frontiers which spent 56 weeks in the Irish Top 30 – Mary Black delighted fans at THE HUB with all her most popular songs including “Katie”, “No Frontiers”, “Bright Blue Rose” and “Past the Point of Rescue” and many requests from the audience. A great night at THE HUB!
(Keep an eye here for photos coming soon!)
Sharon Shannon, Shane MacGowan,
Mundy & Imelda May at The Hub,
30th Dec.
Sharon, Shane, Mundy & Imelda rock THE HUB!
THE HUB was packed to capacity on Wednesday 30th December for the gig of the New Year with Sharon Shannon, Shane MacGowan, Mundy and Imelda May thrilling the crowd with a string of hits. Highlights included Mundy’s ‘July’, Imelda’s ‘Johnny Got a Boom Boom’, Shane’s ‘Fiesta’ and the big finale ‘Galway Girl’. Imelda’s performance of ‘Fairytale of New York’ with Shane showed she is the first person to come close to replacing Kirsty McColl on this legendary tune.
Michael Lyster interviews PJ Ryan at the hurlers’ presentation night at The Hub
Gala GAA Night at The Hub a great success!
The Gala 4-in-a-Row All-Ireland Hurling Medal Presentation Night at The Hub was a great success with almost 700 guests treated to a sumptuous banquet by Langtons of Cillin Hill and live music entertainment. Guest MC Michael Lyster interviewed some of the senior hurling panel and was well able for the good-humoured banter. Fast Lane Audio Visual did a superb job with the stage presentation and outdoor projections, resulting in a real wow factor at The Hub at Cillin Hill!
Barney at The Hub!
Barney proves a huge hit at The Hub!
Barney’s Let’s Go Tour came to The Hub in October and was a huge hit with all his young fans!
Toolbank Trade Show
Toolbank Trade Show
Toolbank, one of the major manufacturers and suppliers to the tool trade in Ireland and the UK, hosted a hugely successful trade fair at The Hub in September and they had this to say about the venue:
“As a company who have been holding trade shows in Ireland for 12 years now around the country in various venues, I would like to congratulate you on your excellent venue and facilities; The way you and your staff took care of not only our staff but more importantly our customers was first class, we received lots of positive comments from our exhibitors and customers alike; The access and layout was excellent and we shall be using The Hub on numerous occasions in the future. Not only that, we shall be only too delighted to recommend The Hub to all who ask. Many thanks for making our Trade Show the success it was!”
Kevin Carver
General Manager, Toolbank Ireland
The Hub - Count Centre for Lisbon Referendum
Count Centre for Lisbon Referendum
The Hub at Cillin Hill was the Count Centre for the recent Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and was featured several times on RTE News!
GAA/ICA Wall Hanging
GAA/ICA Wall Hanging on Display
A magnificent wall hanging, created by members of the Kilkenny Federation of the ICA, is currently on display in the main hallway at Cillin Hill. Featuring the 41 GAA clubs in County Kilkenny, the wall hanging was sponsored by all of the clubs and embroidered and appliquéd by members of the ICA in their local communities. The whole piece took two years to create and is well worth a visit.
Brian Cody Book Launch
Brian Cody Book Launch
Brian Cody, Kilkenny hurling manager and one of the most successful hurling managers of all time, launched his autobiography “Cody” at The Hub in September. There was a huge turnout and Brian’s patience, good nature and professionalism were clearly evident as he signed more than 1,000 books for the audience who queued patiently. Perhaps having the All-Ireland Final beamed up on the giant screen in The Hub helped to keep everyone in great spirits!
Judges & organisers of the YMA show
YMA Members
International flavour at this year’s YMA Show
Two top international judges brought their experience and expertise to the YMA National Show which took place at The Hub, Cillin Hill on 28th and 29th July. This is the second year for the YMA Show to come to The Hub and it was again a hugely successful event. Pictured (l-r) are Andrea Murphy, Local Co-ordinator of the YMA National Calf Show, John Moroney, Ring Steward, UK Judge Lucy Carter, (Showmanship and Clipping), Spanish Judge Jaume Serrabossa, (Calves) and Maria Burke, National Co-ordinator of the YMA. Further details from www.ihfa.ie
Every Woman Show Road Race raises €7,339
€7,339.00 was raised for Action Breast Cancer by the recent Every Woman Show Road Race which took place at The Hub on Sunday 19th April. The cheque was presented to Kevin Delaney, Community Fundraiser with the Irish Cancer Society, by Tom Murphy, Managing Director of the Every Woman Show at The Watershed, Kilkenny. Also pictured are (l-r) Maeve Butler, Marketing & Event Management at The Hub, Paddy Neary and Irene Hennebry, local race organisers.
Chris Dodds, President of the AEMB, addressing the conference
French delegates at AEMB conference
AEMB Conference impresses all
The Annual General Meeting of the AEMB (European Association of Livestock Markets) which took place at Cillin Hill from 12-15 May was a great success, with all delegates commenting on the superb facilities at The Hub and Cillin Hill for such an event. Now in its 26th year, the AEMB Conference takes place in a different member country each year and brings together representatives of livestock markets all over Europe and Ireland to discuss the European livestock marketing industry.
And they're off! Every Woman Show Road Race
Enjoying the Every Woman Show Road Race
The Every Woman Show - A huge success!
The Every Woman Show, which took place at The Hub from 17-19 April, was a huge success! Thousands of well-dressed women of all ages descended on The Hub, seeking out the many health and beauty treatments, massages, pampering products and health advice on offer over the weekend. Assets Model Agency produced three fantastic fashion shows each day, while Langtons were stationed nearby with an enticing champagne area.
The Every Woman Road Race drew more than 300 participants of all abilities and their tremendous enthusiasm and good humour was rewarded with a very generous array of prizes and awards. The total raised for Action Breast Cancer is still to be confirmed, but it is anticipated that it will exceed expectations.
The Every Woman Show was organised by Modern Homes Exhibitions Ltd, who would like to sincerely thank everyone who took part in the race, as well as Paddy Neary and his team of volunteer stewards who ensured the safety of all participants.
Kilkenny County Enterprise Board
KCEB Student Enterprise Awards
Kilkenny County Enterprise Board's Student Enterprise Awards 2009 took place at The Hub in March. Featuring over 30 projects developed by students from all over Kilkenny City and County, the awards are designed to develop students’ understanding of business through practical experience and to encourage entrepreneurship from a young age.
TANCO Autowrap Ltd - European Sales & Technical Training
TANCO Autowrap Ltd - European Sales & Technical Training
Tanco Autowrap Ltd, the leading producer of quality agricultural wrapping machinery, held their two-day European Sales & Technical Training at The Hub on 3rd & 4th March 2009. Involving delegates from all over Europe, Tanco availed of the scale of The Hub to demonstrate their bale-wrapping machinery, as well as the meeting and training rooms overlooking The Hub for sales training.
www.tanco.ie
Circus Vegas moves indoors to The Hub!
Circus Vegas moves indoors to The Hub!
Not to be put off by the inclement weather, Circus Vegas moved their show indoors to The Hub! This fun-filled show for all the family, in the comfort of a warm, dry venue, featured the lovable Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Jumbo the Elephant and Donald Duck, plus Spiderman Aerial Trapeze, the Circus Vegas Showgirls and the Infernal Verrani Stunt Drivers. And of course there was plenty of candy floss and popcorn!
Sharon Shannon gig at The Hub
1,400 pack The Hub for Sharon Shannon gig
Legendary performer Shane MacGowan joined Sharon Shannon, Mundy, Dessie O’Halloran and Richie Buckley on stage at The Hub at Cillin Hill on Saturday 3rd January for what could well prove to be the gig of the year. The crowd of 1,400 were treated to huge MacGowan/Pogues hits including ‘Fairytale of New York’, ‘The Irish Rover’, ‘Rainy Night in Soho’ and ‘Fiesta’. Mundy’s fantastic set included his massive hit ‘July’ and a rocking version of ‘Mexico’, while Dessie O’Halloran got the crowd going early on with ‘Come Down the Mountain Katy Daly’ and his big hit ‘Say You Love Me’.
Sharon Shannon and her superb ensemble of some of Ireland’s top musicians hosted the evening, performing big trad hits such as ‘Potholes’ and ‘Blackbird’ and encouraging the lively crowd to prove themselves as the best singers of the tour. The grand finale saw the stellar line-up all together on stage for ‘Courtin in the Kitchen’ and ‘Galway Girl’, which almost lifted the roof off The Hub and proved that Kilkenny really was the best venue on the tour.
Irish Dance Championships at The Hub
South Leinster Figure Dance Championships draw great crowds again!
The South Leinster Figure Dance Championships, organised by the Kildare/Laois Branch of Irish Dancing Teachers, registered with An Comhdhail, brought great crowds again to The Hub at Cillin Hill this year. One of the biggest Irish Dance events of the year in the South-East, four dance floors operated simultaneously to cater for the 1000+ dancers and their schools, families and supporters over the weekend. Congratulations to all who took part!
Monster Bingo draws huge crowds
The November Monster Bingo in aid of Gowran Parish drew crowds of over 1,300 to The Hub on Sunday 23 November. The date for the 2009 Monster Bingo has been set for Sunday 22nd November.
Future Homes Show 08 at The Hub
Attendance at Kilkenny Future Homes and Building Show at The Hub exceeds all expectations
Great crowds turned out to the Kilkenny Future Homes & Building Exhibition at The Hub from 7-9 November, despite the economic downturn. Even with the very bad weather, huge numbers attended the three-day event, which featured every imaginable item for the house, home and garden. This was the second homes exhibition at The Hub this year organised by Modern Homes Exhibitions Ltd from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and already the organisers are making plans for their 2009 show. “The recession doesn’t seem to have hit Kilkenny as hard as other parts of the country I work in”, said Tom Murphy, organiser of the exhibition. “Our exhibitors were delighted with the turn-out and have done a lot of business and have made many new contacts as a result of the show. We’re already taking bookings and looking forward to coming back again next year”.
Mercury Rev at The Hub, photo Colm Hogan
Mercury Rev at The Hub
Major American band Mercury Rev performed the first rock gig at The Hub on 12th August as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival. The psychedelic, experimental rock band have surprised and enlightened fans for over a decade and a half with their maverick explorations, and festival-goers at The Hub were blown away by their awesome performance. Belfast-based duo Oppenheimer, preceded by Alphastates, provided fantastic and good-humoured support.
“New York band Mercury Rev have set the tone for this fantastic venue which hopefully will continue to host many such stellar gigs in the future” (Kilkenny People)
The Hub ready for 600 guests.
Presentation to Minister Coughlan (Photo: Dylan Vaughan)
The Hub shines for Cillin Hill opening
The Hub was transformed into an elegant ballroom for the official opening of Cillín Hill on 17th April. An Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, TD, then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, performed the official opening, which was attended by over 600 guests from Kilkenny and beyond.
Following a tour of Cillin Hill Centre, Minister Coughlan unveiled a plaque in the main hallway commemorating the opening, following which all guests attended a 5-course banquet in The Hub, which looked stunning for the event. All guests were overwhelmed with the transformation of The Hub from an exhibition venue to an elegant ballroom for the evening and many commented that Kilkenny and the south-east now has a superb venue to compete with the very best on a national scale.
National Quilt Exhibition 2008
Irish Patchwork Society - National Quilt Exhibition 2008
The Irish Patchwork Society (IPS) National Quilt Exhibition 2008 took place at Cillin Hill from June-July. More than 50 quilts from all over Ireland, including traditional and contemporary designs, small wall hangings and bed-sized quilts, were on display. The IPS has seven branches around the country. See www.irishpatchwork.ie
Championship Dog Show
Kilkenny & District Canine Club
34th All Breed Championship Dog Show
This leading pedigree dog show is presented by Kilkenny & District Canine Club, under license from the Irish Kennel Club. All dogs entered must be registered with the Irish Kennel Club. Entries are now closed. Members of the public are kindly requested not to bring their own dogs to the show as only dogs previously registered and entered will be allowed on the premises. Show presented in association with Arden Grange
South East Car Auction
South East Car Auction
A regular feature at The Hub, the South East Car Auctions draw a huge crowd of buyers and sellers every month, with more than 120 vehicles on offer. On a break for the summer months, we look forward to more auctions in the autumn.
Camaro at The Fast & the Furious at The Hub
The Fast & the Furious Car Show
If you're into cars, this was the show for you. With more than 2,000 attendees, this ultimate car experience showcased the best of Irish and UK hot rides as they competed for awards at The Hub on 17 February. Additional features included the Miss F&F Modelling Photo Shoot Contract competition, the exclusive Rodeo Bull Show, presentation of awards and, for the children, a great bouncy slide!
John Deere Tour at The Hub
John Deere New Horizon Tour
John Deere, the world's leading producer of agricultural and groundscare equipment, brought the New Horizon Tour to The Hub, Kilkenny in December. This was the showcase event for the new 6030 series range of mid-specification tractors. Further info