John Spillane performs at Crowley's Music Centre reopening

fcA shuttered Cork institution, Crowleys Music Centre, has officially reopened at a new location a decade after closing its doors on MacCurtain Street.

John Spillane was invited to christen the new 1 Friar Street location with a live performance that included 'Crowley's Music Shop,' a tune Spillane wrote in honour of  the previous owner, Mick Crowley.

 

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A post shared by John Spillane (@johnspillanemusic)

Crowley's Music Centre was a Cork institution for decades before its closure in 2103, with famous customers like Nirvana, Kris Kristofferson, and EmmyLou Harris, as well as undiscovered talents who would later become stars.

Rory Gallagher bought his famous 1961 Fender Stratocaster from the store in 1963, when he was still a budding musician. His brother Dónal spoke to Hot Press in 2013 when Crowley's announced it would be closing after nearly 90 years.

Recalling the day his brother bought the 1691 Fender, Dónal said “The guitar was sitting in the window, it had pride of place there. Rory brought me down and he explained to me that it was similar to Buddy Holly’s guitar – it was his ambition at the time to have a guitar just like Buddy Holly... It was love at first sight. It was destiny.”

Gallagher was honoured at Crowley's final gig in 2013 with a tribute from Tres Hombres, who played his song 'For the Last Time.'

The business first opened in 1924 under the stewardship of Tadhg Crowley, who gradually turned it into a hub for musicians throughout the '30s and '40s. After his death in 1955, his son Mick took over the business at the age of 14, transforming it into the heart of Cork's music scene.

Mick's daughter Sheena plans to honour the legacy of Crowley's by doing more than just selling instruments and equipment.

The shop will form only part of the new location, with space set aside for workshops, lessons, and even a podcast recording studio. The plan is for the shop to be open in the afternoons Thursday to Sunday, while the remainder of the time is spent repairing instruments and providing other services for aspiring artists.

Running the business is nothing new for Sheena, who ran the store at its MacCurtain location for three years after her father passed in 2010. She started an instrument rental business during the pandemic, which eventually gave her enough momentum to reopen Crowley's in a new location.

Local artists have already come out to show their support for the new Crowley's.

Fantastic launch of the new Crowleys Music Shop on 1 Friar St for owner & amazing Cork woman Sheena Crowley! A gorgeous shop & her dad Mick would be proud. @JohnSpillane_ wove his magic too! Great to meet so many friends like Pascale & Trevor! @pure_cork @Nialler9 @IEArtsCulture pic.twitter.com/WUbcJxhhBK

— Fiona Kennedy (@FionaKmusic) July 28, 2023

A tribute gig to Mick Crowley will take place August 4 at the Triskel Arts Centre with performances from David Munnelly, Shane McGowan, and the NoName Trio.

Tickets are available here.