NI man auctioning £6,000 guitar to help struggling musicans

Guitar maker Ciaran McNally is raffling an OM series acoustic guitar with all proceeds to be donated to Help Musicians NI in a bid to to assist struggling musicians in Northern Ireland who are in a very difficult financial position due to the ongoing pandemic.

The guitar, raffle tickets for which cost £10, will be shipped for free and is available for worldwide entry.

Ciaran produces approximately 40 boutique and custom guitars per year, a blend of traditional American and modern Celtic guitar styles.

He is a past student of two guitar making colleges and a former employee of two of Europe’s best known guitar companies.

Ciaran said: “Firstly as a music lover I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the Covid situation with venues and musicians, and seemingly limited government support.

“Like a lot of people during this time, I’ve also been trying to think of a way to be useful. Doing something that can help musicians in this manner, with an instrument, is a way for me to utilise my skills in a positive way during the crisis.”

Help Musicians is an independent charity with an extraordinary history.

For nearly 100 years, it has provided a broad spectrum of help, support and opportunities to empower musicians aged 18+, at any stage of their career or retirement, from times of great need to times of opportunity, providing a lifetime of support when it is needed most.

This year has been particularly challenging for musicians and over 17,000 have been supported through the charity’s hardship efforts since March, but the need continues.