Rory Gallagher guitar: Tánaiste to explore possible purchase of Fender Stratocaster for State

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has pledged to explore ways in which the State might purchase rock legend Rory Gallagher’s Fender Stratocaster guitar before it goes on sale for an estimated £700,000 (€833,000) to £1 million in London later this year.

Mr Martin said he had great memories of hosting a civic reception for Gallagher at Cork City Hall when he was lord mayor of Cork in 1992/93 and that he would be delighted if a way could be found for the State to secure the guitar, which is being put up for auction by the Gallagher estate.

“I have very fond memories (of the civic reception) – he [Gallagher] played in the Everyman Theatre and his brother Donal was there on the night and I asked Donal would Rory mind being honoured tomorrow.

“Donal said he was extremely shy and that he shied away from all these kind of public events, but he did come in and we had a small group of about 40 people and I have very fond memories of that day in Cork City Hall,” Mr Martin said.

“I would love if we could [intervene to buy the guitar] – obviously, I will talk to [Minister for Arts and Culture] Catherine Martin and see what’s possible but it would be lovely if we could get that guitar back on Leeside.”

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle, who saw Gallagher play Cork City Hall several times in the early 1980s, has already called on the Government to intervene to buy the guitar.

“Rory Gallagher’s guitar is a very distinctive and is probably one of the most recognisable guitars in rock history because of the fact that the varnish wore off because apparently Rory’s sweat was very acidic, and it just stripped off the varnish over time.

“But Rory was one of the first to put Irish rock on the international stage so it’s an important item culturally, and I think it’s important that it should be kept in the State so that’s why I’ve made contact with Government departments and State agencies this morning,” Mr Boyle said.

Elsewhere, Cork music shop owner Sheena Crowley has set up a Gofundme Page, which has already raised almost €20,000, to try to buy the Fender Stratocaster that her late father, Michael, sold to Gallagher when he called into the shop on Merchants Quay in 1963.

“It was my father who sold Rory the guitar in August 1963 – it had been ordered by Jim Conlon, who was playing with The Royal Showband. Jim Conlon had wanted a cherry red Stratocaster, but Fender sent a sunburst one, so he decided against taking it.

“And so my father had to sell it as a second-hand guitar – and Rory bought it for just under £100 – and the rest is history,” said Ms Crowley.