We in the Allingham Festival committee, in common with most of the population of Ballyshannon, have been shocked and disturbed at news of what has happened to our colleagues in the Rory Gallagher Festival.
For those who may not be aware, their main ticketing agent, Tickets.ie, ceased trading two days after the end of the hugely successful 2026 event. Now, Barry O’Neill and his colleagues are faced with the grim prospect of having to take legal action to recoup what they can of the almost €300,000 due to them.
Well before hearing this shocking news, we were looking forward to the prospect of having a sort of crossover event as part of this year’s Allingham. Johnny Gallagher, a longtime stalwart of the Rory festival, had kindly promised us an intimate acoustic session for our Friday evening. We’d like to think that this might represent a small glimmer of hope and support in this dark time.
We send all our fervent best wishes to everyone concerned. No one in Ballyshannon wants to think of a 2027 without the Rory Gallagher Festival. They are joined in this by many, many fans not only here but in Europe and across the world. Fans with fond memories of time spent here and fans who haven’t made it yet but who are still determined that…“One Day!”.
If we all keep spreading the word, it just might reach the ear of a rock‘n’roll angel; preferably one with deep pockets.
