“The best news I have heard all year. Bless them for keeping this guitar in Ireland”: Rory Gallagher’s prized 1961 Strat to be donated to the National Museum of Ireland

Left-Rory Gallagher playing his '61 Fender Strat on stage; Right-A 1961 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Vox AC30 amplifier and Rangemaster treble booster owned by the late Irish musician Rory Gallagher, photographed during a studio shoot for Guitarist Magazine/Future via Getty Images.

After going under the hammer for a whopping $1.16 million, it has now been revealed that Rory Gallagher's iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster was purchased by Live Nation Gaiety Ltd, with the intention of donating it to the National Museum of Ireland.

Commenting on the sale and impending donation, Catherine Martin, Ireland's Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, told the BBC: “The purchase agreement ensures the famous Strat will now be preserved in the ownership of the state, and made available to view for the public and Rory Gallagher's fans around the world.”