Award for Donegal's Rory Gallagher Festival

Ballyshannon’s Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival has been named among the best festivals in Ireland winning the accolade at the Irish Festival Awards for the Best Small Festival for ticketed attendances up to 5,000 people.
The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival claimed the award ahead of some 20 other Festivals in its category with Electric Picnic winning the Best Major Festival Award.

The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival was established in 2002 and since then has firmly become one of the most popular Music Festivals in Ireland, attracting hundreds of overseas visitors and in particular dedicated Rory Gallagher Fans to the North West. Among the leading bands to have appeared over the last 16 years at the Festival include Rory Gallagher’s band members; the legendary Horslips; ex Rolling Stone  Mick Taylor and his band; Woodstock legends Ten Years After; Eric Bell of Thin Lizzy; Bernie Marsden, formerly ofWhitesnake; The Blockheads; Jan Akkerman, formerly of Focus; the late Ronnie Drew; Sinnerboy (UK); Pat McManus (ex. Mama’s Boys); Johnny Gallagher and Boxtie Band; Laundromat from Holland and the Seamie O’Dowd Band.

Speaking from his London home, Donal Gallagher, brother and Manager of the Late Rory Gallagher said that “the news of the success for the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival at the Irish Festival Awards is well deserved and Rory’s fans will be in particular very pleased by this news. I congratulate all the committee members on a fantastic achievement, it’s a truly amazing result and would mean so much to Rory. Ballyshannon have over the past 16 years ensured that Rory’s music and legacy remains strong and has become a focal point for thousands of Rory’s fans from all over the world to meet on annual basis, we are so proud of this award”.
Chairperson and founder of the Rory Gallagher Festival Committee Barry O’Neill has greeted the announcement with delight saying “we are thrilled for the Festival to win this award for the second time and its great news for the locality to have the Rory Gallagher Festival named Irish Festival of the Year in the Small Festival Category. It’s an honour for the hard-working voluntary committee but also we would like to thank the thousands of people who come to Ballyshannon every year to pay tribute to Rory Gallagher. We are looking forward to the 2018 Rory Gallagher Festival, with tickets to date sold in 24 Countries across the World. Among the Headline acts set to perform between 31st May & 3rd June 2018 are Wishbone Ash featuring Andy Powell, “Taste of Rory” featuring John Wilson and Richie McCracken (Rory’s “Taste” Band members), there is some excitement with the return of Wilko Johnson & His Band as well as American Blues Guitar Legend – Walter Trout and His Band and there is massive interest with Thin Lizzy Legend – Brian Downey and the Alive & Dangerous Band not to mention Eric Steckel Band (USA), Pat McManus Band, Sinnerboy (UK), Johnny Gallagher & Boxtie, Laundromat (Holland) and many more to be announced.
Mr O’Neill had a special word of thanks to “the key funders and sponsors Failte Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way, Donegal County Council, Diageo /Guinness Ireland and the business community in Ballyshannon and Bundoran. We appreciate this award greatly and thank everybody who make such an effort to help in any way each year”.

The 17th Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival takes place in Ballyshannon, from Thursday 31st May to Sunday 3rd June 2018.

The Full Festival line-up and Programme will be announced on March 2nd to coincide with what would have been Rory Gallagher’s 70th Birthday. All Festival details are available at www.rorygallagherfestival.com