Cookstown’s famous nightspot Clubland to reopen as spectacular new ‘Lanyon Hall’ venue

Lanyon Hall on Molesworth Street is the latest venture from fast-growing leisure group 1 Oak Leisure Ireland Ltd and will see one of the province’s best-loved nightclubs Clubland transformed into a state-of-the-art multi-purpose live arena, inspired by similar venues in New York and Nashville.

An initial investment of £1M in the new venue and the creation of 25 full and part-time jobs will provide a real boost for the Mid-Ulster region and fill what owner Patrick Scullion believes to be a massive void for a top quality live venue in the area.

“There is nothing quite like live entertainment and I think the Mid-Ulster region has been crying out for a top quality live arena for a long time now,” said Mr Scullion, who originally comes from a construction background.

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“In Lanyon Hall, the area will proudly boast a new venue that will be amongst the finest in Northern Ireland, and indeed the island of Ireland, hosting the best in live music, from country and rock to the biggest DJs on the live circuit. Not only that, as well as being a multi-genre music venue, the design of Lanyon Hall will lend itself to a range of other live events, including comedy and sport,” added Patrick.

“We plan to bring some of the top comedians to Lanyon Hall, as well as hosting indoor sports such as boxing and darts which will be really exciting for local audiences.”

The venue’s ‘Grand Opening Weekend’ will feature a live DJ set from Grammy award-winning German Paul van Dyk on Friday December 11, followed by Ireland’s biggest country music star Nathan Carter and his band on Saturday December 12.

Other acts lined up to appear at Lanyon Hall in the near future include Bagatelle on Saturday December 19, the reformed Bay City Rollers, currently enjoying a huge revival, as well as ever-popular crowd favourites Smokie in 2016.

With capacity ranging from 400 to 1400 guests depending on the nature of the event, Lanyon Hall will be equipped with the latest in sound and lighting technology with specific attention paid to acoustics, such a crucial factor of the live music performance.

Patrick Scullion believes the venue will attract customers from all over the North as well as artists from around the world.

“We believe that Lanyon Hall will be a totally unique venue in Northern Ireland,” he said. “A place where artists and sportsmen will ultimately want to play and perform, and that people from all over the province, and even further afield, will want to visit for a fantastic night out.

“It’s hard to beat the electricity and atmosphere of a live performance and we are investing heavily to make sure that Lanyon Hall is equipped to provide the perfect live entertainment experience,” concluded Patrick.

Lanyon Hall is named after renowned architect Charles Lanyon who designed prominent buildings on Molesworth Street in the 19th century. Prior to becoming a popular nightclub the venue started out as a live music establishment in the 1970s, so history has now turned full circle.

Work on the new venue was carried out by local company Oakleaf Contracts Europe Ltd.

1 Oak Leisure Ireland Ltd has made a huge impact on the Northern Ireland social scene since it opened its first nightclub in 2012. The leisure group now boasts a portfolio of venues that includes TIME BAR + VENUE, one of the province’s most popular nightclubs, The Black Horse Bar in Cookstown, Johnny Foxes near Magherafelt, as well as Rubys Nightclub and The Harp & Fiddle Bar in Strabane.