Plan For Gary Moore Statue Approved At Belfast City Hall Committee Meeting
Plans to erect a statue honoring guitar legend Gary Moore have been approved just weeks after a tribute to rock icon Rory Gallagher was unveiled. Green Party Councilor Brian Smyth, on behalf of the Wild Frontier Memorial Project, proposed locating a suitable site on unused council land and discussing the matter at the Belfast City Council statue working group. The proposal was approved at a City Hall committee meeting.
On January 15, Smyth took to his Instagram to write: “This evening at committee, Belfast City Council agreed to my proposal to carry out a land check of sites in the Cathedral Quarter for a potential Gary Moore statue. As a proud son of our city and East Belfast, he blazed a trail and has left a lasting legacy for rock and blues fans across the world. I am working with the Wild Frontier Memorial Project who are campaigning and fundraising for a statue of Gary in Belfast. Gary was one of the greatest ever guitarists and deserves to be honored in his home city. We have never been great at celebrating our people who have achieved great success. It's time to change that in relation to Gary Moore and tell his story for future generations of aspiring musicians in Belfast.”
According to the Irish News, Smyth spoke at the meeting of the council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee, stating that Moore was “probably the greatest guitarist to come out of Belfast. If a statue of him was to become a reality, it would be similar to the Rory Gallagher one and would be privately funded.” The statue is expected to cost around 80,000 euros.
Acclaimed Northern Irish rock guitarist Gary Moore (1952-2011) had a remarkable solo career, collaborating with legends like BB King, Albert King, Phil Lynott, and George Harrison and was an influential member of Thin Lizzy.
Moore began playing guitar at a young age and his talent quickly caught the industry's attention while with his first notable band, Skid Row in Dublin. Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, who became his mentor, noticed his potential. Moore bought one of Green’s guitars, nicknamed Greenie, and played it for over 30 years.
Moore's guitar playing was known for its intense emotional depth and blistering speed. Influenced by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Peter Green, he developed a unique signature sound early on. In rock guitar circles, he is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
His son, Jack Moore plans to launch a debut album this year and has released his debut single, ‘In My Shoes’. The nostalgia-infused blues was co-written with singer Quentin Kovalsky and, as Moore explains, is “inspired by the relationships between parents and their sons, and how they guide you through life. I think my father would have loved this song. There’s a nod to Thin Lizzy’s unmistakable dual guitars in there, too. I think it’s very much up my father’s street in terms of style.”
Jack Moore began his career playing with his father in 2008 and went on to perform with notable acts such as Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Otis Taylor and Joe Bonamassa. Besides touring with the Gary Moore Tribute Band, he is also a member of the indie-folk trio Smith Lyle & Moore, based in Los Angeles, alongside producer Andrew Smith and Tyler Lyle from The Midnight.
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