Cork will be final home for Rory Gallagher's guitar, says promoter ...
Cork will be the final home for Rory Gallagher’s €1m signature Fender Stratocaster guitar, the man behind its purchase at auction has said.
Promoter Denis Desmond's joint venture with live music giants, Live Nation, Live Nation Gaiety Ltd, bought the guitar at auction on Thursday in London and donated it to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI).
In an interview on Friday, Mr Desmond said that the guitar “is going to stay in Ireland and it will end up in Cork — that is important. We haven't figured out where yet but we will.”
The guitar was made in Fullerton, California, in 1961, and bought by teenage Rory Gallagher from Crowley’s music store in Cork two years later.
It will end up in Cork on public display. Down the road, it has to end up in Cork and its final home will be in Cork.
The guitar sold for £700,000 (€840,000) and a premium placed on the item brought the total to £889,400 (€1.069m).
A native of Cork, Mr Desmond said that the €1.06m “is a good price. We are happy with the price paid, let's put it that way.”
“We are very happy that we got it and very happy that it is staying in Ireland.”
Mr Desmond said that the Live Nation Gaiety joint venture also purchased the guitar's amp for £60,000 (€72,000).
Mr Desmond explained the purchase by saying: “It is hard to put into words but I know to a lot of people this means a lot. There are tens of thousands of Rory fans out there who are very happy. There is a lot of love out there for Rory Gallagher and it is great to see. He is an icon.”
Mr Desmond said that himself, his wife, Caroline and Mike Adamson (MD of Live Nation Ireland) “got talking about the upcoming auction and agreed it would be great to keep the guitar in Ireland”.
The head of the global Live Nation business, Michael Rapino also got behind the planned purchase. He said that calls were made and the Arts Minister Catherine Martin and the National Museum came on board.
The donation is being made to the NMI under Section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.
The guitar was made in Fullerton, California, in 1961, and bought by teenage Rory Gallagher from Crowley’s music store in Cork two years later. Photo Govert de Roos/ Bonhams.comMr Desmond said that the first band that he ever worked with was Sleepy Hollow when they were a support act to Rory Gallagher in 1974, and he promoted a Rory Gallagher tour in December 1983/January 1984.
Rory’s brother, Donal “has done an incredible job in managing Rory’s estate and keeping the legacy alive,” he said.
The Gallagher family have said that proceeds from Thursday’s auction at Bonhams in London will go towards projects to further Rory's legacy and other good causes.
