Crowd-favourite Mono sure to hit all the right notes again

28/06/2024

A firm favourite with truckers when it comes to delivering quality musical entertainment at Full of the Pipe, Cyril Reilly AKA Mono will be back performing on the main stage again. The Cavan man has a deep connection with FOTP and the trucking fraternity in general, not least because their tastes in music overlap big time.

At this stage, Cyril ‘Mono’ Reilly and Full of the Pipe go hand in hand. The brilliant one-man musical act from Killeshandra first took to the stage at Ireland’s premier truck show while the event was being hosted in his native Cavan and became a mainstay of FOTP’s residency in Punchestown.

Performing his trademark mix of American Country and Rock, he played at the reduced-size Mondello Park show last October and can’t wait to return to the iconic home of Irish motorsport for the full scale summer extravaganza event in July.

One of the main reasons why Cyril enjoys Full of the Pipe so much is that truckers seem to share his love of music. “For the musical entertainment, the boys put together a fantastic mix of different genres and that makes it all the more enjoyable,” the Cavan musician and singer comments. “Most of these guys spend a lot of time listening to music – they know their music – and you have to get the variety right. In fairness to Kevin and Colin, they always do.

“Truckers love their music and that’s often what keeps them going through their long hours on the road. When you are in their company, you can’t but notice the passion they have for music. For me, it’s a real honour to get this opportunity every year to get up and play in front of them, to get that platform and the chance to showcase what I’m all about.”

The talented solo artist got a preview of the new venue towards the end of 2023 and is ready to rock Mondello Park again at the full-sized show this summer: “No matter what the venue is, the following and enthusiasm are always there at Full of the Pipe. You will always have a great atmosphere. They enjoy their trucks and they enjoy their music and Full of the Pipe is a celebration of both.

“I’m fortunate to be very familiar with Full of the Pipe and it’s certainly one of the highlight gigs of the year for me. I can’t wait to see all those familiar faces again and to get back up on that stage. The boys don’t cut any corners with putting together a show like that and I can’t wait to get back and do what I do.”

After the uncertainty of the Covid years, Cyril is delighted to see things back on track both for Full of the Pipe and his own career: “Things have bounced back well since Covid and I’m flat out, thankfully. Venues have been very good to me and playing at shows like Full of the Pipe opens it up a bit more.

“I’m out performing four or five nights a week, which is great, and I make a big effort to try to play a wide variety of different types of music. American County and Rock – some people call in ‘crock’ – is a big part of it and one of the reasons why I enjoy this festival so much is that the truckers seem to appreciate these two genres as much as I do.

“They love their rock music and their country. You can hear music all around the venue all weekend. They all have their radios and CD players going and the vibe is unbelievable. It’s an honour to be part of Full of the Pipe again and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Full of the Pipe Truckshow Ireland returns to Mondello Park over the weekend of July 13th and 14th.