Analysis: Bought, sold, played, displayed, stolen, recovered and preserved – Rory Gallagher's iconic Fender Stratocaster ’61 is a national treasure
Rory Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal in 1948. His family moved to Derry before settling in Cork. On leaving school aged 15, Gallagher joined the Impact showband, which toured the ballrooms of Ireland. Frustrated by the showband circuit, which he only played 'because there was nowhere else to go with an electric guitar’, he formed his own blues-based rock band, Taste. After they split in 1970, Gallagher was joined by drummer Wilgar Campbell and 17-year old bassist Gerry McAvoy and they recorded and toured simply as ‘Rory Gallagher’. His forte was live performances and it was live recordings of his shows, rather than studio albums, that enjoyed greatest sales. Dubbed ‘The People’s Guitarist’, Gallagher drew strength and confidence from the adoration of his loyal fans.
Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963 is largely credited as being the place where Gallagher’s music career truly began. The shop on McCurtain St in the city centre has been an institution on the Cork music scene since 1926, until it closed its doors in 2013 and relaunched in a new location in 2023. Age 15 and playing a Rosetti Solid 7, worth about £12, it was his ambition to have a guitar just like Buddy Holly’s. Gallagher admired the guitar in the shop window and his brother recalls how ‘It was love at first sight. It was destiny’.
A Fender Stratocaster was rare at the time, and the guitar that was to become Gallagher's was imported from the US by a member of the Royal Showband, Jim Conlon. He bought new guitars regularly and sold his old ones to music shops. Gallagher bought the guitar on hire purchase for £100 after promising his mother that 'if he got the guitar, not only could he play lead guitar but he could play rhythm at the same time and therefore could play in a band that required only one guitarist'. He kept his promise and the day he got that guitar is celebrated in Cork music folklore.
Gallagher made his own modifications to the guitar. He replaced the tuning pegs, pick guard and the wiring. It originally had a three colour sunburst painted design, which eventually faded, giving the guitar its signature battered appearance. There is speculation that Gallagher’s particularly acidic sweat caused the fading but paint loss on Fenders is not unusual. Gallagher used various makes and model of amps throughout his career, but the guitar was non-negotiable. He commented 'I mean, you get branded with a certain guitar. Have to keep up the image, you know!’.
After Gallagher’s band Taste had played their first gig in Dublin, their van was broken into on Harcourt St. Gallagher’s prized guitar was stolen, along with some other equipment. An appeal was broadcast on Garda Patrol – a crime programme on RTÉ television – to publicise the theft. A few days later, the guitar was found in a ditch near the South Circular Road, with some repairable damage.
Rory died following a serious illness on 14 June 1995 age 48. His sudden passing shocked his loyal fans and the wider public. He has since been honoured with statues, stamps and festivals. He even has a Paris street named in his memory as he gave his final ever concert at Le Plan six months before his death. Rue Rory Gallagher remains today.
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From RTÉ Archives, Irish rock musician Rory Gallagher has a Paris street named in his memory in 1995
The guitar has been in the care of Gallagher’s brother Donal and kept safe in a bank vault in London since Rory died. It has occasionally been played by some famous guitarists, like Johnny Marr and Joe Bonamassa, and has also been lent for exhibition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the US. When Bonham’s Auctioneers announced that the guitar was being put up for sale in October 2024, it caused a frenzy amongst Gallagher fans who wished for it to return to Ireland for the public to enjoy. Crowley’s Music Store attempted to crowdfund to purchase the guitar but with a guide price of €1.2million, this was always a massive mountain to climb.
There were calls from TDs and from the public for the Government to intervene and ensure the guitar's future was to be in Ireland. The auction in London was a complete frenzy with some of the 94 lots going for more than the guide price. The star lot, the Fender Stratocaster guitar was purchased by Live Nation Gaiety Productions which is a heavyweight of the live music industry. The company stated its intention to donate the guitar to the National Museum of Ireland, which it did under Section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. This is a tax relief available in respect of the donation of important national heritage items to the national collection.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Gallagher family welcomes donation of iconic guitar to State
The guitar has outlasted its master, but its story continues as it goes on public display in the new permanent Changing Ireland exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland. Bought, sold, played, displayed, stolen, recovered and preserved – Rory Gallagher’s iconic Fender Stratocaster ’61 is truly a national treasure, as was he.
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