Irish Truck & Motor Show 2005

The Irish Truck and Motor Show is back by public demand at the Limerick Racecourse over the June Bank Holiday Weekend.

Gabriel Piggott and Finbarr O’Flaherty of Full Throttle Ltd, the organisers of the Irish Truck and Motor Show, won’t have a minute to spare over the June Bank Holiday Weekend.

They’ll be pulling the strings and orchestrating events at Limerick Racecourse, content in the knowledge that they have put together a show to equal or better anything that will be held on the island of Ireland this year.

This year’s extravaganza has been trucker driven. Said simply, truckers from all over the country have been agitating for the return of a truck show to Limerick for the past two years.

“Truckers from all over the country knew that Finbarr and myself were involved in organising Truck Fest in Limerick in 2002. They knew it was our brainchild and they have been canvassing us and putting pressure on us ever since to run another show,” Gabriel explained.

Gradually Gabriel came round to the idea of staging a truck show this year having listened to countless pleadings from hauliers all over the country. However, he didn’t fully commit to the idea until long-time friend and business partner Finbarr threw his support behind the project.

“He didn’t take much convincing to be honest because his heart was in it from day one. We both have a love of trucks and truck shows, so when we saw that the support was there on the ground, we decided to go ahead,” he added.
In the run-up to the event posters were circulated to well known trucking haunts in an effort to spread the word. One of Gabriel’s trucks was featured on the poster, which created quite a stir.

“The poster generated an awful lot of interest and went a long way to spreading the word about the show. But in fairness the truckers also played a big part in getting the word out. The word spread like wild fire,” he enthused.

He continued: “The feeling on the road is that 90 per cent of the truckers in the country know the show is on and a large percentage of them have made up their minds to go.”

While many hauliers will be happy to “overnight” in their vehicles at Limerick Racecourse, others will be seeking accommodation in the local hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs.

Gabriel is advising early booking. “We are hoping to attract in the region of 10,000 people over the two days. Accommodation in the Limerick area is selling out fast, so booking in advance is advisable,” he warned.

Over the past two or three years Gabriel has noticed that more and more truckers are modifying their trucks. In that light Gabriel and Finbarr were anxious to put on a truck show to show case the best the country has to offer.

“More and more truckers are spending money on metallic paint, air brushing, graphics and extras on their trucks. As a result of that we were anxious to put on a show, where these truckers could enter their trucks across the various judging competitions,” he elaborated.

For more years than they care to remember Gabriel and Finbarr have been modifying their own trucks, so they are delighted to see an upsurge in the popularity of the “sport”.

Gabriel believes events such as Mondello and the Truck Fest in Limerick in 2002 have contributed to the rising tide that is now engulfing every sector of the haulage industry.
He commented: “It has been growing steadily over the past few years to the point, where you can meet eight-wheeler tipper lorries with eight or 10 spotlights mounted on them. That would have been unheard of just a few years ago.”

He continued: “There is no point spending all that money if the trucker ends up with nowhere to show off the truck. That is why truckers were pressurising us to put on a show and why we were anxious to stage the Irish Truck and Motor Show this year.”

In drawing up a template for this year’s event Gabriel and Finbarr were keen that the show would have a strong “social” dimension, which is often lacking in other events both at home and abroad.

“Truckers are constantly talking on the CB radio, meeting late at night in roadside cafes and in other situations connected with their work. We felt it was important to organise an event where they could gather and socialise over a weekend, where work was the last thing on their mind,” he remarked.

“Haulage can be a very lonely profession with little or no social life. The show will give truckers the opportunity to meet and unwind in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere and enjoy the extensive programme of events.”

To that end, the organisers have pulled out all the stops to ensure everyone who descends on Limerick Racecourse over the June Bank Holiday Weekend, will be suitably entertained.

The hard working hauliers have enlisted upwards on 60 staff to complement the impressive quota of racecourse staff that will be on duty over the weekend. Consequently, the Irish Truck and Motor Show will probably be one of the best-organised events of its kind in the country in 2005.