The entire three-and-a-half-hour tribute show aimed at raising money to bring Rory Gallagher’s iconic guitar back to Cork is now available to watch online. Earlier this year, Bonham’s Auction House announced the auction of Gallagher’s renowned 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which he bought for £100 from Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963 and played throughout his career.
Organized in collaboration with Donal Gallagher, Rory’s younger brother and manager, the auction sparked concern in Ireland over the possibility of the beloved instrument disappearing into a private collection. In response, Sheena Crowley, daughter of the man who sold Gallagher the guitar, initiated a crowdfunding campaign to bring it home.
As part of this campaign, a tribute show took place at Cork City Hall earlier this month, and the full performance is now online. Hosted by Liam Ó Maonlaí, frontman of Hothouse Flowers, the show featured local acts including Hot Guitars with Sean Long, Moonchild with Sam Healy, The Watermelons with Eoghan Regan and Andrea Bonino, and Tres Hombres, who were joined onstage by Gallagher’s longtime bassist Gerry McAvoy.
The evening also included speeches from Dan Boyle, Lord Mayor of Cork, and Sheena Crowley. “This is about raising as much money as we can to bring the Strat back,” Crowley told attendees. “I would love for us to do it together as a community. Music is sacred, and if it is, then so are the musicians. I want to create space for them to be appreciated and valued.”
Crowley aims to use the funds to establish a museum that celebrates Cork’s musical heritage, with a permanent exhibit dedicated to Rory Gallagher. As of now, her GoFundMe campaign has raised €63,681 of its €1,000,000 goal.
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