Rory Gallagher bought his famous '61 Stratocaster there and it has been an institution on the Cork music scene since 1926 but now Crowley's Music Centre on McCurtain Street has closed its doors for the last time.

The business was started by renowned piper and pipe maker Tadhg Ó Crualaoi when he began making pipe band instruments. Until recently it was run by his son Michael Crowley until his passing in August 2010.

The shop was the largest music store in the city and as well as dealing in modern brand names in guitars, keyboards and drums, it also sourced rare custom and collectible instruments, specialising in 1920s' rare banjos.

Writing on the shop's Facebook page, the current proprietor said: "Thank you everybody for your kind words. It is overwhelmingly sad of course and it is a terrible reflection of the crisis on our island.

"I campaigned for buying local etc... and wore the ear off everybody, myself included! I could not change the tide of cultural evolution. Computers are stuck to the ends of our hands. Germany has way bigger buying power than us. Charges are going up and profits are going down. Revenue/Rates, headache after headache..."