“Gary was one of the greatest ever guitarists and deserves to be honored in his home city”: Plans are in place for a Gary Moore statue to be erected in Belfast

The city of Belfast in Northern Ireland might soon erect a new statue to honor one of its most well-known sons – Gary Moore. Initial plans have been given the go-ahead just weeks after Rory Gallagher's statue was unveiled.

According to Belfast Green Party councilor Brian Smyth, the proposal he filed on behalf of the Wild Frontier Memorial Project was approved at a City Hall committee meeting, indicating that the Gary Moore statue is now more a case of ‘when’ than ‘if.’

“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,” Smyth shares on social media. “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.

The post continues, “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.”

In a statement given to The Irish News, Smyth confirmed that if the plans go ahead, the initiative would be “privately funded”, as it's expected to cost around $83,202 (€80,000).

The project is being spearheaded by the Wild Frontier Memorial Project, founded by fans of Moore, with the aim of honoring the virtuoso's immense legacy.

So far, the Project has been raising money via tribute gigs in Dublin and Belfast, and an online crowdfunding campaign that was launched last year. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham, ex-Whitesnake and Dio axeman Doug Aldridge, as well as Moore's son, Jack, and sister, Patricia, have all voiced their support for this campaign.

“This is an exciting time for the campaign to honor the legend Gary Moore with a statue in Belfast,” says Srón Quigley, one of the co-founders.

“We want to celebrate his memorable music, his remarkable talent, and with his legacy, inspire new generations of musicians. Belfast is a city rich with music history and talent and we believe visitors to the city will warmly welcome a statue of Gary Moore as much as the people of Belfast.”

Check out this Total Guitar piece, for more on how Gary Moore's propulsive playing and fiery tone changed the course of blues guitar.