Rory Gallagher’s signature guitar coming home to Ireland after €840k auction sale

The guitar was sold for a hammer price of £700,000 to Live Nation Gaiety Ltd with plans to donate it to the National Museum of Ireland

The iconic guitar was part of a sale of almost 100 lots in the Rory Gallagher Collection at Bonhams.

It’s coming home — rock and blues legend Rory Gallagher’s famous Fender Stratocaster is to be donated to the State after it was bought at auction in London today.

Made in Fullerton, California, in 1961, and bought by teenage Rory Gallagher from Crowley’s music store in Cork two years later, the famous Fender Stratocaster was sold for a hammer price of £700,000 (€841,000) in London on Thursday evening.

The iconic guitar was part of a sale of almost 100 lots in the Rory Gallagher Collection at Bonhams. While the estimate of £750,000 - £1m on the Stratocaster had hogged the headlines, an eclectic mix of bidders with various budgets had packed out the New Bond Street auction house, with many more taking part online. The buyer of the Strat was a phone bidder.

The guitar was bought by Live Nation Gaiety Ltd, founded by Cork native promoter Denis Desmond, with plans to donate it to the National Museum of Ireland.

Arts Minister Catherin Martin said the purchase followed extensive discussions between her Department, the National Museum of Ireland (NMI), and the buyer.

She said the agreement will ensure that the famous Stratocaster will be preserved as part of Ireland’s national heritage, allowing fans of Rory Gallagher worldwide to view it in public exhibitions.

“I look forward to hearing more of NMI's plans to showcase the famous Strat,” the minister said on Thursday.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also welcomed the outcome.

“To see Rory’s Fender Stratocaster on display by the National Museum, for fans and the public to enjoy, will be a fitting recognition for an Irish rock legend,” he said.

The guitar was Gallagher’s number one instrument through four decades, played continuously both onstage and in the recording studio.

This led to the guitar's most distinctive feature, its unusually worn appearance, which has made it for many years, one of the most instantly recognisable guitars in the world.

Cork, Dublin and Donegal were well represented in Bonhams, with contingents from England, Japan, and Germany also vying to get a piece in this rare sale.

Among those in the room was Sheena Crowley, Mick Crowley's daughter, who had provided Rory with the hire-purchase deal on the Strat all those years ago.

 The Legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Rory Gallagher

Sheena had organised a GoFundMe campaign that had raised €75,000 by auction day. A valiant effort, but not enough to get near the main item. Ms Crowley won’t be returning to Leeside empty-handed, however, having been successful in other areas of the auction. She managed to secure a 1963 Epiphone Coronet for £14,080 (€16,900) and the 1983 Tokai Talbo for £6,400 (€7,700).

Also in the room were members of the Gallagher family - Dónal Gallagher, Rory’s brother and manager, and his sons Daniel and Eoin. They made the difficult decision to sell the collection as the 30th anniversary of Rory’s passing approaches in June 2025. As well as the cost and other issues involved in keeping such a collection in storage, the family were keen that the instruments and other items should actually be used again. 

After the sale, Dónal Gallagher said: "We have been overwhelmed by the response to this auction and the outpouring of love and respect shown towards Rory and his incredible legacy. 

Rory meant so much to so many people, and we want to thank everyone who took part in the auction and everyone who shared their own memories of Rory with us.

“It has been nearly 30 years since my brother's passing, and though it was a difficult decision to part with this collection, I am grateful that these treasured instruments can now tour the globe as Rory did, spreading his music and memory. We are also delighted that Rory's 1961 Strat will be returning to Ireland, where it can be shared with his fans for generations to come."

A Government source said arts minister Catherine Martin was acutely aware of the keen public interest in this auction and specifically in the Stratocaster, but was also concerned about the use of public money.

She asked her department officials to explore a range of options, which led to Live Nation Gaiety stepping forward with an offer to bid and donate to the state.

It is understood that as well as securing the iconic Stratocaster, the entertainment company also secured a range of other lots during Thursday’s auction, with more details expected to emerge over the coming days.

The source said that the NMI understands the importance of the Stratocaster, in particular, to Cork and that it is "considering a number of options" in that respect.

As well as the main item, other prices included £5,760 (hammer price plus VAT) for a set of harmonicas, £8,960 for a 1961 Fender amplifier, and £102,000 for a Martin acoustic guitar. 

The 94-lot collection in the sale made a total of £2.3m.