In 2008, Rory released his official solo debut album "God Bless the Big Bang". It received a positive reaction, with
Hot Press magazine declaring it "a Triumphant return", giving it 4 out of 5 stars. It also received album of the week from
Today FM,
The Sunday World and
BBC Radio Ulster. Rory released 2 singles from the album and did two short tours of Ireland. However, he had since become the resident musician in Charlie's Bar in
Lanzarote and he found it difficult to go and play in front of 50 people in small venues around Ireland, losing all his money on petrol and hotels when there were already 150 Irish people coming into Charlie's Bar in Lanzarote every night of the week. In 2010, Rory recorded some new original material with well-known Irish trad player
Sharon Shannon (also a reworking of
The Pogues classic "Fiesta" with Shane MacGowan); out of these sessions Rory had recorded a comedy demo song called "Ryanair Blues". It was leaked to Irish radio and became a surprise online hit. It was then that Rory started releasing his new material under the name "RORY AND THE ISLAND" as it was a confusing using his birthname Rory Gallagher as many people would show up expecting a tribute to the Cork/
Donegal Blues Legend! The second album, "Auntie Depressant and Uncle Hope" (2012), also received acclaim from
Hot Press magazine, which summarised it as 'a compelling suite of songs'. The album was recorded in various locations around the Spanish island of Lanzarote. Rory wrote the music for Irish boxer
Jason Quigley's debut pro fight in
Las Vegas, "Make Way for the Fighting Irish", in July 2014. Quigley now uses this as his arena entrance theme song. In Oct 2014, Rory played a sold out show to 550 people in the Opium Rooms (The Village) in Dublin. After this show, Rory played "The Academy" venue in Dublin, which holds 1,000 people, supported by Eoin Glackin. In 2015, Rory and The Island went on tour again in Germany. The third official studio album, "Watching the sun going down", was released in July 2016. Rory and the Island gigged six nights a week at The Island Bar in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, which was voted the No.1 Live Music Bar on
Trip Advisor for five years running. (2013 - 2018). Following the sale of the bar, Rory and the Island played in numerous venues around
Great Britain,
Ireland, New York, Las Vegas and Germany. In 2020, Rory and his wife Cara decided to open a new live music venue in
Edinburgh in Scotland. However, after paying a large sum for the lease and redecorating, the bar never made it to its official opening night of 20 March 2020 due to the global pandemic. Rory then began live Facebook broadcasting during the pandemic to a huge response, and charted 3 top 20 singles on iTunes during this period. This led to sold out shows in cities such as
Belfast, Dublin, London, and even a guest slot on the
BBC from the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2021. Rory signed with new Irish indie label "Voices of the Sea" to release his album : "Centre Falls Apart", plus a follow up EP "Centre Comes Together" in 2022, Both receiving huge critical acclaim and heavy rotation on spotify and
RTÉ. In 2023, Rory and his wife Cara Gallagher opened "Rory's Corner Bar" in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote, and "BAR 13" in Edinburgh, two new live music bars. Rory is now owner and resident musician in The Irish Viking Bar in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote. In 2025, Rory and his wife Cara Gallagher also opened a vibrant new music venue in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote - Rory's Live Lounge, where he now performs live shows five nights a week. May 2025 saw Rory release another catchy summer anthem, 'Playa Grande'. == Discography ==