‘The greatest challenge of my life’

A US star is to play a tribute to the music of Cork’s greatest rock musician Rory Gallagher at the Marquee this summer.

At a special launch in Cyprus Avenue this week, the US virtuoso Joe Bonamassa announced the two nights as a special celebration of one of his heroes, Rory Gallagher.

Rory’s brother and manager Donal and former bassist Gerry McAvoy were also in attendance, along with other members of the Gallagher family.

The blues guitarist will play the music of Gallagher on 1 and 2 July 2025 with tickets going on sale this Friday 4 October at 10am, marking the 30th anniversary of his death in June 1995 at the age of 47.

Bonamassa will perform Gallagher's classic Irish Tour '74 set, which was an acclaimed live album and film and featured a gig in Cork City Hall. The opener on the album was ‘Cradle Rock’, which was also the opener on the US guitarist’s debut album.

Bonamassa described the gigs as “the biggest musical challenge of my life. I'm as terrified as I am excited about it.”

He added that it was the “biggest honour and challenge of my musical life”.

The New York born virtuoso opened for the legendary BB King when he was just 12 years old and has been described as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist” by Guitar World. Joe Bonamassa has sold over 10 million records, earned twenty seven #1 Billboard Blues albums and counting, and received 3 Grammy Award nominations and 13 Blues Music Award nominations.

Rory Gallagher was a self-taught virtuoso who shunned fame but became a universally acclaimed international star.

Rory performed over 2,000 concerts throughout his music career influencing the likes of Brian May, Johnny Marr and Slash with his dextrous, energetic and emotive style.

In the summer, it was announced that Rory Gallagher’s iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster is set to go to auction this month along with the rest of his instrument collection.

The collection will come to auction at Bonhams on 17 October in London.

The sale will consist of guitars, amps, and accessories from Gallagher’s life and career, including his iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster. Gallagher bought the guitar for £100 on credit from the owner of Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963.

A campaign to keep the guitar in Cork continues and Bonamassa backed the campaign and said he contributed money anonymously to a GoFundMe. That fund has now raised more than €65,000.

A tribute gig organised by Sheena Crowley at Cork City Hall on Sunday 15 September saw bands influenced by the great man play as a fundraiser for the campaign.

Tickets for Joe Bonamassa plays Rory Gallagher, Live at the Marquee Cork, go on sale on Friday 4 October at 10am from Ticketmaster.ie

This is the first gig announcement for Live at the Marquee Cork 2025.