with limited first team opportunities at wigan due to the emergence of maynor figueroa and with his contract set to expire in the summer, kilbane transferred to hull city on 15 january 2009 for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £500,000, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the yorkshire club. he scored his first goal for the club against burnley on 10 april 2010.