Rory Gallagher Theatre, MTU Bishopstown

Formerly called the RTC, then the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), this facility was the location of Rory Gallagher’s last Cork and in fact Irish concert on November 18th, 1993, taking place in the West Atrium Hall of their Bishopstown Campus.

Rory’s uncle, Jimmy Roche was once the principal of the RTC. The proposal to perform there was a great honour and tribute Rory wanted to do for his late Uncle, who died in 1986.

Jimmy had been a source of inspiration and counsel for Rory since a child, staying at the Family home on MacCurtain street on his return from working in America telling Rory and his brother Donal of all his interesting adventures and the culture there:

"Our uncle Jim Roche had been principal at CIT, and he had passed away some time before, so Rory agreed to do the concert as a tribute to Jim as they were very close. Jimmy had studied in the United States and he had come back with a catalogue of songs," said Donal.

"He brought back a lot of country blues songs- it was stuff that you didn't hear on the radio at the time like Hank Snow and his song I'm Moving On. Rory and Jimmy were very close so he put "I'm Moving On" on the first Taste album as a subtle tribute to Jimmy."

The Cork Institute of Technology invited Rory to headline their inaugural Cork Arts Festival, playing an acoustic gig.

 It was Matt Cranitch who organised the concert:

“I did know Rory, and indeed I was responsible for organising the concert… It took place at Cork Regional Technical College (Cork RTC).

It was subsequently renamed as Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), and very recently designated Munster Technological University (MTU).

Rory’s uncle Jim Roche had been principal of that institution, and there had been a long-standing family promise that Rory would do a concert in the college.

Jim died prematurely, but still the promise held good.

I was a lecturer/professor in Cork RTC at the time, and it fell to me to follow up on the Rory concert. “

Donal recalls though that Rory didn’t think that a full rock band would lend itself to the college’s atrium and that an acoustic set would be more appropriate:

“Our uncle Jim Roche had been principal at CIT and he had passed away some time before, so Rory agreed to do the concert as a tribute to Jim as they were very close. I think Rory felt a full band rock concert would have been too raucous as a tribute to Jimmy, but he was a bit daunted at the prospect of doing a set on stage by himself, so he brought over Lou Martin to play piano and Mark Feltham joined in as well on harmonica, so it was quite the night”

According to Peter Somers in 2018, who dedicated his career to the University in all its guises and himself, a much-loved figure and coordinator of CIT recalled Rory's concert in 2018 as Rory's 1993 performance as the highlight of the inaugural Cork Arts Fest

To acknowledge this event and Rory's association and legacy, the theatre at the MTU was named the Rory Gallagher Theatre in 2007 providing a dedicated performing arts venue in the heart of the MTU Bishopstown Campus.

It is a 106-seater tiered auditorium with proscenium-arch stage suitable for small to medium size theatrical productions, dance, live music, film screenings, presentations.

For more information on its contemporary showings and events check out more here on The Rory Gallagher Theatre