‘Rory always wanted to play in birthplace’

ROCK guitarist Rory Gallagher always wanted to play in his birthplace at the height of his fame but never got the chance.

He was even prepared to play for free at the non-rock Ballyshannon Folk Festival, but he wasn’t invited.

His brother Donal revealed his secret wish yesterday before a life-sized bronze statue of Rory was unveiled in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.

Donal also revealed their mother was so agonised over Rory’s death that a memorial in Cork, where he grew up, was deliberately designed to avoid projecting a clear image of the rock superstar.

The statue unveiled in Ballyshannon town centre last night at the beginning of a five-day Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival was sculpted by David Annand at his Edinburgh studio.

Thousands of Gallagher fans from across the world are expected to flock to the town for a celebration by 25 tribute bands.

Eurovision veteran Charlie McGettigan, a Ballyshannon native, performed at the unveiling.

Gallagher left Ballyshannon at the age of three when his family moved to Derry and then Cork. He died from liver transplant complications in June 1995 aged 47, having only rarely returned to his birth place.

His younger brother Donal, who paid tribute to the statue as a wonderful homage, recalled one of Rory’s rare visits when he took time off from a concert appearance in Sligo.

The brothers were accompanied by their mother, who was recognised by many Ballyshannon folk, though few identified Rory.

Donal said: “He was quite intrigued. He loved it. I remember he saw a poster for the Ballyshannon Folk Festival and he said the one thing he would love if they had asked him to play at it. I said I could make a phone call and he said: ‘No, No’.

“It’s just if they had asked him he would have done it for them. He never played the Ballyshannon Folk Festival, sadly.”

Now the nine-year-old Rory festival is probably bigger than the folk festival.

Donal also recalled a monument sculpted by Rory’s childhood friend in Cork, Geraldine Creedon, a sister of RTÉ broadcaster John.

It was sculpted within a year of his death.

“It’s a much more abstract piece, essentially because my mother at the time couldn’t cope with idea of Rory being cast in stone or bronze. She just couldn’t face the idea of looking at Rory’s image,” said Donal.

He added that their mother – who died in 2005 – would probably have been able to deal with the Ballyshannon statue, which has been sculpted 15 years after the guitarist’s death.

* Festival details can be followed on the website goingtomyhometown.com.