A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to bring Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster back to its original seller’s family and display it in a museum.
Michael Crowley first sold the guitar to Gallagher for £100 in 1963. His daughter, Sheena Crowley, has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to purchase the Strat and return it to Cork, Ireland.
The guitar was announced for auction last week and is set to be sold via Bonhams in London on 17 October as part of “The Rory Gallagher Collection,” which includes other Gallagher-owned gear such as guitars, amps, and accessories. The Stratocaster is the highlight of the collection, expected to fetch between £700,000 and £1,000,000.
As of now, €19,170 has been raised towards Crowley’s €1,000,000 target. On her GoFundMe page, she states, “This guitar means so much to us in Cork, and we need to become the custodians of that magical guitar. Rory has been the idol and inspiration to so many musicians in Ireland for half a century. We feel tied to him, and the guitar is a symbol of what he represents for us.
“Once the news of the auction was released, everyone in Cork and Ireland gasped with shock and surprise. However, Rory’s brother Dónal has given us a fantastic opportunity by making the Strat and Rory’s instrument collection available to us.”
Crowley’s ultimate goal is to establish a music museum in Cork, “incorporating traditional and modern music, showcasing the marching bands, Céilí bands, showbands, rock bands, punk bands, and more.”
She adds, “Rory was someone who pushed boundaries, even when rock ‘n’ roll was considered the devil’s music! He performed in places that were being bombed and dedicated his entire life to music. We must do this for him because we gained so much from him, but we must also do it for our heritage.”
