After an absence of some years from playing in his native city, Rory Gallagher returned in 1987 to perform for the first time at Cork Opera House.

RTE had its cameras there to capture the homecoming and the subsequent documentary, Live in Cork, is held up as an iconic snapshot of Gallagher’s homecoming as the revered bluesman delivered classic tracks like ‘Tattoo’d Lady’, ‘Follow Me’, ‘When My Baby She Left Me’ and ‘Out On The Western Plain’. The film, which has become a visual Bible by Gallagher’s fans was released on VHS in 1990 and then on DVD in 2009.

Sinnerboy - who have headlined Rory Gallagher tribute events in England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Norway and the USA - return to Cork in September to play a special show to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of Rory’s first self-titled album. The show will recreate the landmark Gallagher gig in 1987, beginning with the complete track listing of the LIVE in Cork recording and then expanding to include many other of Rory’s classics.

Gallagher formed the band Taste in the late 1960s and recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with album sales amassing over 30 million copies worldwide. His playing has been cited as the inspiration behind countless renowned guitarists over the decades and his passing in 1995 was mourned across the music industry. During an amazing career he also collaborated with legends such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters and Lonnie Donegan.

To this day, Gallagher has been considered one of Ireland's most important musicians, as evidenced by recently being named as Ireland's Greatest Music Artist by Newstalk listeners. Describing the Sinnerboy show, Rory's brother Donal Gallagher said: "Here is the proof that my brother's music lives on".

Limited tickets for this socially distanced live event are available from Cork Opera House Box Office at €26 plus booking fee

This show will be subject to any public health guidelines in place at the time of the event. It is part funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through the Live Performance Support Scheme.