Tánaiste pledges to explore how State might purchase Rory Gallagher’s iconic Fender Stratocaster

Tánaiste Mícheál Martin has said he will ask Minister for Arts and Culture Catherine Martin about the possibility of the State purchasing Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster.

Almost three decades after the death of Irish guitar legend Rory Gallagher, his iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster, and the rest of his instrument collection, is heading for auction in London in October, with the Fender Stratocaster valued at an estimated €833,000- €1 million.

Mr Martin has said that he will explore ways that the state might acquire the guitar, which Martin said would be "lovely if we could get it back Leeside".

Speaking to The Irish Times the Fianna Fáil TD said that  he had fond 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 Dónal was there on the night and I asked Dónal would Rory mind being honoured tomorrow.

“Dónal 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,” The Cork TD said.

Mr Martin further added that: “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.”

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

Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster. Credit: Bonhams

Dónal Gallagher previously spoke to Hot Press about the day in 1963 that Rory purchased his famous Strat in Crowley's Music Store on MacCurtain Street in Cork.

“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. I think every guitarist wanted one. To me, the contours and the shape of the instrument – it’s a classic shape is similar to something like a spaceship. It wasn’t what I had imagined, we were so used to the round shape of a guitar and electronics were such a new thing. We couldn’t understand how the sound could come from it. It was love at first sight. It was destiny.”

Rory Gallagher almost didn't end up with guitar at all however.

Speaking on the day that the guitar was sold Sheena Crowley, the daughter of Michael Crowley who sold the guitar said:  “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.

In her Gofundme fundraiser description, Crowley said that Cork needs to become the "custodians of that magical guitar".

She added: "Rory has been the idol and inspiration to so many musicians in Ireland for half a century. We feel tied to him and the guitar is a symbol of what he represents for us. Once the news of the auction was released I would say everyone in Cork and Ireland gasped with shock and surprise but really Rory's brother Dónal has presented us with a fantastic opportunity by making the strat and Rory's instrument collection available to us".