All About Cork: Local guitar heroes pledge €300 to Rory’s Strat fund

Ballincollig’s own guitar heroes have pledged €300 to a fund that is attempting to buy Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster for the people of Cork.

Described as “good for the heart and good for the soul” by no less a figure than Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins himself, the 11 members of The White Horse Guitar Club have been going strong for 12 years now, and they recently decided they had to try to help bring Cork’s most famous guitar home.

Bought by Rory Gallagher’s mam in from Michael Crowley for £100 in 1963, the Fender Strat that would become the Lee Delta Bluesman’s constant companion is due to go for auction in London later this month, and expected to fetch upward of £1m (€1.19m).

A GoFundMe campaign, ‘Help Bring Rory Gallagher’s Strat Back to his Home Town’, started by Michael’s daughter Sheena, has already received pledges worth over €68,000, and last week The White Horse Guitar Club donated €300.

The club’s Joe Carey said he couldn’t overstate the importance of Rory Gallagher.

“He struck such a chord with us, how profoundly influencing he was, and still is, in terms of this iconic guitar figure, our guy, the hometown hero, up there with the best who ever played, he’s just incredibly inspiring,” he said. “We play songs that resonate over the years, and what we celebrate is that the songs we play are as pristine and perfect as the day they were created and they travel almost perfectly through time, and that’s the same with Rory’s music.”

He said the club had felt they had to make a contribution to the fund to bring his Strat back to Leeside: “Rory’s resting place isn’t far from The White Horse, and we regularly see it, and like a lot of our musical peers, we are all very inspired by Rory.”

The White Horse Guitar Club plays The White Horse, this Thursday, October 10.

Sponsor a guide puppy

National charity Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, which is based in Carrigrohane, is asking people to consider sponsoring a puppy in training for as little as €10 a month.

Guide dogs enable people who are vision-impaired to achieve greater independence and mobility, acting not only as a mobility aid but as a constant support providing both safety and social benefits.

Dogs are trained for 24 months, and sponsors can watch them grow from small puppies to fully-trained guide or assistant dogs who will give freedom and independence to someone with sight loss.

The charity in turn trains people from the age of 16 upward, giving them and their new canine partners the skills they need to work together.

Scoil Barra holds open night

Scoil Barra’s open night will take place this evening, Tuesday, October 8, from 7pm to 8pm.

Parents are encouraged to come along to see the school and meet staff and pupils.

Scoil Barra is a co-educational primary school which first opened its doors to pupils in 1985. Since then the school has expanded considerably. It now has 440 pupils, with a staff of 31 teachers including 11 special education teachers, and in addition eight special needs assistants. The school also has excellent facilities, including a general-purpose hall, large computer room, and spacious playing areas.

Despite the expansion of Ballincollig in recent years, Scoil Barra still maintains the benefit of an almost rural setting, being adjacent to the regional park and boasting its own large playing field. Scoil Barra is located in Innishmore, Ballincollig, P31 H578.

For further information, see scoilbarra.ie or contact 021 4873459.

New members welcome at Ballincollig Basketball Club

Ballincollig Basketball Club is now open for the new season, with spaces available for boys and girls. The club has teams for all ages, and all are welcome, with the club now accepting new members.

Training and local league games take place in the Sportlann in Colaiste Choilm, Ballincolig Community School, and Bishopstown Community School. Super League home games take place in MTU Cork Arena.

For further information, see ballincolligbasketball.ie. For all enquiries on membership, please contact the club registrar via email at registrar.ballincolligbc@outlook.com or check out the club’s various social media accounts.

Mini rugby at Tanner Park

Mini rugby at Ballincollig RFC is back every Saturday morning in Tanner Park, and new members are always welcome.

The session for under-7s and under-8s runs from 9.30am to 10.30am, is for children born between 2017 and 2019, and they must have turned five. For children under-9 to under-12, the session runs from 10am to 11am, and they must have been born between 2013 and 2016. Boys and girls are welcome. The coaches are qualified and experienced, and the environment is safe, fun, and family-friendly.

Drop down on Saturday or contact Patrick at minis@ballincolligrfc.ie for more details.

Cloghroe NS applications

Applications are now open for admissions to Cloghroe National School for the school year of 2025 to 2026.

Application forms are available on the school website at cloghroens.com; email: office@cloghroens.ie, or call 021-4385547.

Return of AFC Academy

Ballincollig AFC’s Academy is back every Saturday at Gaelscoil Uí Riordain’s astroturf pitches (Eircode P31 V242). Times are staggered each Saturday to help with parking and allow everyone their own space. Each session is for boys and girls.

The session for children under the age of six and under the age of seven runs from 9.30am to 10.30am. For children under eight and under nine, their session runs from 10.45am until 11.45am. The session for children under 10 runs from midday to 1.00pm.

For further information, contact academy manager Alan on 087 2266231, or message the club on its social media channels.

Ballincollig GAA Club lottery

The numbers drawn in the weekly Ballincollig GAA Club lottery on Thursday, October 3, were: 3, 9, 11, and 33. With the club’s lottery jackpot at €20,000, the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach and must be won. There was no winner drawn and consolation prizes went to Mary Boyde (€100), Paul Desmond (€50), and Frances Denny (€50).

The next draw will take place on Thursday evening, October 10, in the clubhouse.

For details on how to enter the club’s weekly draw, see Ballincollig GAA Club’s various social media pages.

Have Ballincollig news to share? Contact Donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie