In pictures: Rory Gallagher's early years - confirmation, first press shot, Taste
Rory Gallagher on the roof of the Irish Examiner building on Academy Street in 1961. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive
Cork Rocks For Rory is a citywide event that marks the 30th anniversary of Rory Gallagher's passing in June 1995. A number of exhibitions, concerts, discussions, etc, will take place in Cork over the next few weeks.
“Rory and his mother, Monica, on the day of his confirmation, standing on the South Mall, looking back towards Cork City Library in the background. Rory is wearing short pants, which all schoolboys would have worn at the time, a cap from his school, the North Mon, and a suit my mother bought for him, although for Rory, even in his showband days, wearing a uniform was never the done thing for him.”
“Rory won a talent contest at Cork City Hall. It was part of the Ideal Homes exhibition. They had heats for it up in the balcony, which was curtained off. They built a small stage. I remember being there with him. He did two numbers, including Lonnie Donegan’s The Grand Coulee Dam. The guy doing compere said he couldn’t get over the fire and energy that Rory put into the performance. Somebody from the Evening Echo wanted to get a picture of Rory so he was brought to the Examiner’s Academy St office. The photographer took him onto the roof because the light was better. It was Rory’s first photo in the press.”
“This is a picture of the Fontana showband. As far as I know, it was taken at the 32 Club, which was a venue for showbands in north London. Rory must have been 17 years’ old at the most. Rory is on the right-hand side, behind the microphone. You can tell it’s him because of the guitar – he's got this Stratocaster. The band used to go over and play gigs in England, usually at Lent, because they couldn’t play in Ireland during Lent.”
“This is Taste on Leitrim St in Cork. You can see the chimney stack in the background, which is the old Murphy's brewery. Rory's on the left. The centre guy is Eric Ketteringham, the bass player, and on the right, Norman Damery, the drummer. They’re outside the Cavern Club where they did a residency. Behind them is their old VW van, with its split screen. At that time, the band would have been booked around Munster, the odd gig in Dublin, and then trying to break through up to Belfast. I did travel in that VW van with them up to Belfast. It was quite fun, but cold in the winter though because of the engine being at the back.”
“This is a backstage shot at Taste’s Isle of Wight performance, taken looking out at the audience, which no one could put a number on. I've seen figures suggesting it was 100,000 people, with people camped up on the hills. Oddly enough, it was the day the band decided to split up. Rory was unhappy with the management. There was a lot of tension. There was a very early start, getting out of London, to get down to the ferry to get out to the island. When they got there, the manager was there and there were all sorts of disputes, but it was the biggest day of their lives. They put things to one side. They said, ‘OK, this will be the last one. Let's make the best of it,’ which they did. The band did several encores. They stole the show.”
“This is Rory in his check shirt. Richard McCracken is in the middle with his arms around both guys, the drummer, John Wilson, being on the right. That picture was taken by the famous photographer, John Minihan. John was there at the Isle of Wight festival covering it, probably for the Daily Mail. It’s backstage after their performance. They played in the afternoon. John was so proud, being Irish. He made his way backstage. He wanted to get the picture.”
- The exhibition, Rory’s Early Impact - Rory Gallagher's Early Years in Cork up to Taste MK2, is at the Atrium, Cork City Council offices, June 14 to July 4, as part of the Cork Rocks For Rory event.
- Rory Gallagher’s Early Years in Cork up to Taste MK2, Atrium, Cork City Council’s New Civic Offices, June 14-July 4: photographic exhibition capturing images of Rory Gallagher’s rise, including his showband apprenticeship, up to 1970 and his years with Taste.
- ‘The Continental Op’ – The Global Musician, Cork Public Museum, June 14 – December 2025: exhibition cataloguing Rory Gallagher’s tour memorabilia, concert posters and some of his guitars, music instruments and amps.
- Lyrics, Vinyl & Visuals – Rory Gallagher; the Man and His Interests, Cork City Library, June 14 – August 24: exhibition examining Rory Gallagher’s influences, including hand-written drafts of his songs; his private record collection, among them Buddy Holly and Muddy Waters albums, and his book collection.
- Taste at the Isle of Wight 1970, Triskel Arts Centre, 7pm, June 26: screening of Oscar winner Murray Lerner’s iconic documentary of Taste’s performance at one of the all-time great music festivals, including rare footage and interviews with Bob Geldof, The Edge and Brian May.
- Joe Bonamassa Plays Rory Gallagher, Live At The Marquee, 8pm, July 1-3: legendary American blues guitarist runs through the canon of one of his heroes. Promises to be three special nights.
