Fifteen years of growth and friendship 

02/07/2025

Irish Trucker is immensely proud to have been closely associated with Full of the Pipe for 15 years and counting, with both parties growing hand in hand during challenging times. It’s an enduring relationship that means a lot to every member of the Irish Trucker team. 

It honestly feels like only yesterday when the very first Full of the Pipe truck show was staged in the humble surrounds of Athlone IT in 2010. Little could we have imagined the winding journey that would be taken over the ensuing decade-and-a-half as FOTP grew through hard work, dedication and perseverance into Ireland’s premier truck show. 

Fifteen years on, Kevin and Colin and their crew are preparing for the latest chapter in the extraordinary Full of the Pipe story – one that has given so much to all associated with the trucking community here in Ireland and also in the UK. It’s truly phenomenal what had been achieved, not least against the unforgiving backdrop of persistent economic woes – years that have brought recessions, a pandemic, Brexit and more than one cost-of-living crisis. 

To make Full of the Pipe a viable reality with such testing circumstances has been nothing short of remarkable. Sheer commitment, enthusiasm, passion, vision and integrity have been key to making this happen. 

Since that maiden show was delivered in the heart of the midlands under the moniker of Full Of The Pipe Trucks Show & Autofest, Irish Trucker Magazine has been closely associated with this trailblazing and one-of-a-kind truck show. “To be retained year after year as the official media partner of Full of the Pipe is an honour, a privilege and a responsibility that we do not take lightly,” confirms Barry McNamee. 

“There are many similarities between Irish Trucker and Full of the Pipe – both exist to promote and acknowledge truckers and the transport industry; both are independent businesses founded on honest endeavour; and both continue to succeed against the odds in the face of oftentimes immeasurable adversity. Sponsorship, advertising, support and good faith are integral to this and every little bit of support is as appreciated as it is essential. 

“Over the years, it’s not by accident that Full of the Pipe has grown steadily to become not only Ireland’s premier truck show but one of the leading transport and logistics events taking place annually anywhere in Europe. Irish Trucker happily made ourselves available to the organisers from the get-go to help promote and document FOTP and it has been heartening to witness the event grow almost exponentially year on year to become an iconic brand and an occasion simply not to be missed. 

“We’re deeply proud to have been associated with the show from the beginning, albeit in a small way, and we’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate our immeasurable respect for the show and all the great people behind it. Full of the Pipe has provided us with a lot of copy over the years and hopefully there is much more of that to come. When we are writing about, promoting or sponsoring Full of the Pipe, it never seems like work. Definitely a case of mixing business and pleasure in a very satisfying way!” 

Full of the Pipe hit the ground running and, while there have been untold learnings, tweaks and changes along the way to make the experience bigger and better, it has also been a classic case of ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’, with the emphasis always remaining very much on quality and entertainment. And trucks, of course, Thus, as the show moved from Athlone to Cavan, then Punchestown and now the iconic Mondello Park itself, this has always been a weekend for the trucker, by the trucker and of the trucker. Two days to savour. 

This year, as ever, all the stops have been pulled out to ensure that all visitors are entertained throughout the weekend and we at Irish Trucker can’t wait to be part of this unique event again. 

Through both print and online media, Irish Trucker endeavours to provide a voice and recognition to the hauliers, operators, dealers, manufacturers, garages, test centres, etc. who make haulage in Ireland so precious and so strong. As official media partner of Full of the Pipe, we make it our business to do what we can to help preview, promote, highlight, advertise and report on this spectacular trucking extravaganza - a fun-packed weekend during which truckers can leave their troubles outside the door and spend precious moments together. 

As ever, it was an absolute honour to put this preview programme together and we’re sure the weekend itself will be an unforgettable one. Mondello has proven to be the perfect venue for Full of the Pipe and it’s refreshing to hear that what was often an exhausting and thankless task for the organisers themselves has become a much more stress-free one. 

Kevin and Colin and their friends and families work on Full of the Pipe for literally twelve months of the year. Make no mistake – that is no small undertaking. Casting our minds back to 2010, we recognised back then the spirit, passion and drive of the organisers and we wanted to get on board, striking up a great working relationship almost immediately and one that has proven to be a long-lasting and mutually-rewarding one. 

The fact that the show is still going stronger than ever all these years later is proof positive that our initial enthusiasm and optimism for FOTP was well-placed! Fair and accurate to state that we knew from those very earliest days that Full of the Pipe was going to be a show of real substance and one that would stand the test of time. 

We at Irish Trucker would like to take this opportunity to once more congratulate Full of the Pipe on its remarkable growth and success to date and to wish everybody associated with this amazing show and all its supporters all the best for 2025 and beyond. 

Here’s hoping you all have a great weekend! 

Full of the Pipe Truck Show Ireland is on July 12 & 13 in Mondello Park