Rory Gallagher: Renowned Irish blues musician’s guitars go on sale

The instrument collection of Rory Gallagher (1948-1995), one of Ireland’s most talented hard-rock and blues musicians, goes on sale in Bonham’s New Bond St auction rooms in London on October 17th, with viewing each day until the sale.
The collection includes the Ballyshannon-born, Cork-based musician’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster guitar (£700,000-£1 million; €835,390-€1.2 million), which Gallagher bought second-hand for £100 on credit from Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963. The guitar became synonymous with Gallagher, and is one of the world’s most instantly recognisable electric guitars.
Donal Gallagher, Rory’s brother and former manager said: “After nearly 30 years since Rory’s passing, I now believe it is time for other people to cherish Rory’s orphaned 1961 Fender Stratocaster and the rest of his incredible instrument collection.”
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Since Gallagher’s death in 1995, his legacy has grown, with a resurgence of interest in his virtuosic style of guitar playing in recent times. But, even during his lifetime, Gallagher influenced musicians including Eric Clapton, Brian May of Queen and others.
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The Rory Gallagher online auction also includes a 1966 Fender Telecaster electric guitar, (£120,000-£150,000); a 1958 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar; known as Rory’s “backup Strat” (£100,000-£150,000); other electric and acoustic guitars, and a mandolin. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Gallagher sold more than 30 million records worldwide. A new boxset, Rory Gallagher, the BBC Collection of Rory Gallagher’s recorded performances at the BBC, is also released this weekend.
Townley Hall, the Francis Johnson-designed country house outside Drogheda, Co Louth, now owned by the School of Philosophy and Economic Science, is the atmospheric setting for viewing Adam’s Country House Collections today, tomorrow and Monday.
The wide range of mahogany furniture, historic paintings, garden furniture and silverware will appeal to owners of large country properties and fine Georgian city houses who wish to add period details to their homes.
Pieces of note include a William IV mahogany circular table (€1,000-€1,500), one of six or seven breakfast tables in the auction. A George III mahogany Gainsborough armchair ((€2,000-€3,000) also stands out among the many armchairs and diningroom chairs for sale. But, the exquisite selection of silverware – including many sets of cutlery – is perhaps most interesting. These include a set of 12 George II silver dinner plates made by the Dublin silversmith Robert Calderwood in the early 18th century for Drogheda House, in the city centre.
Built for Henry Moore, the third Earl of Drogheda, the house was the largest residence on Drogheda Street, later renamed Sackville Street and now O’Connell Street. In the 1700s, this was one of the most fashionable streets to live on and, having the task of laying out the streets for development, Moore left his name on several nearby: Henry Street, Earl Street and, of course, Moore Street. The house was destroyed during the Irish Civil War.
A rare Victorian inkwell in the form of a donkey carrying baskets (John Samuel Hunt in London, 1845) is another curio (€8,000) for sale at the auction.
The first 247 lots will be sold in a timed online auction on Monday, October 14th, closing at 3pm, while the next 450 lots will take place in the Adam’s salesrooms at 26 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin from 11am on Tuesday, October 15th.
Finally, Mullen’s Auctioneers in Laurel Park (next to Woodbrook golf course), Bray, is returning to live auctions from Monday, October 14th, at 10am.
“You can’t beat the buzz of an auction room, the knock of the gavel and the whoops of joy from the bidder who has just won their prized lot,” says Joe Mullen. The auction rooms will also continue their online format.
During the preview of the auction today, Saturday, October 12th, interior designer, Michelle Burnett of Cush Interiors in Castleknock and Mia Van Evelingen from Mia Upholstery in Dublin 8, will be in Mullen’s to offer advice on styling and reupholstering antiques.
“Clients can get such bargains at auctions, and period pieces of furniture from bureaus to book shelves to side cabinets can add character to new and period homes,” says Burnett, showing me a picture of a Georgian cabinet bureau she uses as her home office desk in the livingroom of her apartment.
Van Evelingen will be on hand to give clients quotes for upholstering diningroom chairs, armchairs and sofas, on sale at Mullen’s auction on Monday.
“Most upholsterers in Ireland are preparing to retire, so it is becoming a rare craft, and there is no upholstery training in Ireland,” she explains.
Meanwhile, Mullen is excited to see how many people turn up for the live auction as, since Covid, the online timed or live auctions have become the main selling arena.
“We’ll give it a go for a few months and see the response,” he says.
Being in the auction room allows people to spot other items that might interest them apart from the original pieces they planned to bid on.
A Victorian walnut marquetry cabinet (€300-€400); a reproduction art-deco-style floor lamp (€300-€400); and an Edwardian wash stand, with a marble top and tiles on the back (€300-€400), are a few of the items that caught my eye on a visit to the auction rooms this week.
Bonhams.com; adams.ie; mullenslaurelpark.com