King's Hall, Belfast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King's Hall |
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Exterior of main venue (c.2008)
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| Address | Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 6GW Northern Ireland |
| Location | Balmoral |
| Coordinates | 54°34′01″N 5°58′01″W / 54.567°N 5.967°W |
| Owner | Royal Ulster Agricultural Society |
| Built | 1896 |
| Opened | 30 June 1896 |
| Closed | 30 June 2012 |
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Former names
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King's Hall Exhibition and Conference Centre (1934–2008) |
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Classroom-style seating
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180 (Abercorn Suite) 40 (President's Suite) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 2,500 (Nugent Hall) 1,400 (Balmoral Hall) |
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Theatre seating
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6,974 (King's Hall) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 8,926 square metres (96,080 sq ft) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 220 square metres (2,400 sq ft) |
| • Ballroom | 8,417 square metres (90,600 sq ft) |
The King's Hall was a well-known place in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was used for many different events. The King's Hall had six separate areas for shows and gatherings.
The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) owned the King's Hall. They moved there in 1896. Before that, they were at the Belfast Corporation Markets. The RUAS moved out in 2012. The old King's Hall site is now being updated for new uses.
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A Look Back at King's Hall
In 1891, the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) needed a bigger space. Their old location was too small. They asked their members and the public for money to buy new land.
They looked at many possible places. The land at Balmoral was the best choice. In 1894, they agreed to buy the 32-acre Balmoral site. Work on the new site started in 1896. It was ready for the first Balmoral Show on 30 June 1896.
The Famous King's Hall Building
The main King's Hall building was designed by Leitch and Partners. It was built in 1933 by J & R Thompson, a company from Belfast. The Duke of Gloucester officially opened it on 29 May 1934.
The King's Hall was the biggest place for exhibitions in Northern Ireland. For a long time, it was also the only large concert venue. This was before places like the Odyssey and the Waterfront Hall were built.
The King's Hall hosted the Balmoral Show every year. This is a big farming show. More than 75,000 people would come to it. The building had a special look with stepped walls. It also had cool Art Deco designs on its doors. Inside, large concrete arches held up the roof.
Boxing Legends at King's Hall
The main hall was also very famous for boxing matches. Many great boxers fought there. Rinty Monaghan had several fights in the hall. A special blue plaque was put up in 2007 to remember him.
In 1985, Barry McGuigan defended his boxing title at the King's Hall. He had fought there six times before. Both McGuigan and Monaghan are strongly linked to the venue. Other big fights happened there too. These include Ray Close's rematch with Chris Eubank in 1994. Also, Dave McAuley's two fights with Fidel Bassa in 1987 and 1988.
Many other famous boxers also fought at the King's Hall. These include:
- Tyson Fury
- Jamie Moore
- John Duddy
- Martin Lindsay
- Neil Sinclair
- Robin Reid
- Wayne McCullough
- Danny Williams
- Amir Khan
- Paul McCloskey
- Eamonn Magee
- Brian Magee
The Hall Closes Its Doors
In June 2012, the RUAS decided to buy a new place. They chose Balmoral Park in Lisburn. This new park is about 65 acres. It is about 10 miles (16 km) from the old King's Hall site.
At the same time, the RUAS announced plans for a new, even bigger exhibition center. This new center would replace the King's Hall. It was built in 2015 and is called the Eikon Exhibition Centre. Because of this, the King's Hall building closed on 30 June 2012.
From 2020 to 2021, the King's Hall site has been redeveloped. The original King's Hall building is being fixed up. The whole area is becoming a Health & Wellbeing Park. You can find more information about this project at www.kings-hall.com.
