Donor boosts RNLI coffers by €4k after Gallagher auction

An anonymous donor has added to the joy of a seaside community by adding €4,000 to the €7,000 raised from the recent auction of Rory Gallagher’s rehearsal amp.

The Ballycotton RNLI crew was delighted when the late blues guitarist’s brother Donal presented the donation on board the Austin Lidbury vessel near the pier in the East Cork fishing village.

The guitar amp travelled the world with Rory from the mid-1970s to his death in 1995. It was put up for auction by his family in May, along with a replica of his sunburst Fender Stratocaster guitar, to raise funds for the lifeboat.