The last game of bingo held in the Carlton Ballroom, Kilkenny last night

The last numbers were called out at the weekly bingo game in the Carlton Ballroom, Kilkenny last night after almost 60 years. There was an air of sadness as one old lady said to anyone who was listening: "What will we do in January, we have no where to go."

For the last two and a half years, it has been losing money and the owners of the hall and the body responsible for running the weekly game decided to close it down.

There was a time when the hall would be packed every Monday night with minibuses parked all around the vicinity of the building.

The CBS Past Pupils' Union are to sell the iconic site with the proceeds going to both the primary CBS and secondary CBS schools in the city.

One man who has been there for the last 47 years, Donal Gibbons,  will miss it and everyone who came in to get their cards had a kind word for the man who has managed the hall for many years.

President of the CBS past Pupils's Union, Sean Breathnach took to the stage before the first numbers were called out to tell the patrons why they were closing down.

Many of the attendance are old and the session in the Carlton was their only real social outlet during the week.

Mr Breathnach said that there was a time when the bingo proceeds would give the primary and secondary CBS schools in the city €20,000 a year.