[4][5] Gallagher gained international recognition in the late 1960s as the frontman and lead guitarist of the blues rock power trio Taste.

[8][9] In the 1980s, Gallagher's health gradually declined, resulting in a liver transplant in March 1995 at King's College Hospital in London.

[11] A number of guitarists in the world of rock and blues cite Gallagher as an influence, including Alex Lifeson (Rush), Brian May (Queen), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) Robert Smith (The Cure), The Edge (U2), Slash (Guns N' Roses), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), Janick Gers (Iron Maiden), James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers), Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), Gary Moore and Joe Bonamassa.

[23] His father, Danny, was employed by the Irish Electricity Supply Board (ESB), who were constructing Cathaleen's Fall hydroelectric power station on the River Erne above Ballyshannon.

[34] While still in school, playing songs by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, he discovered his greatest influence in Muddy Waters.

[35] Influences he discovered, and cited as he progressed, included Woody Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lead Belly.

In the summer of 1963, while searching through local newspapers, he came across an advertisement from brothers Oliver and Bernie Tobin, who were looking for a lead guitarist to join their newly-formed band, the Fontana Showband.

[41] Gradually, he began to influence the band's repertoire, steering it away from mainstream pop music and incorporating some of Chuck Berry's songs.

By 1965, he had successfully moulded Fontana into "The Impact", now with Michael Lehane on keyboards and Johnny Campbell on drums, replacing O’Sullivan.

[39] On 22 April 1965, The Impact made an appearance on Irish television show Pickin’ the Pops, where they were scheduled to perform Buddy Holly’s 'Valley of Tears’.

[37] Gallagher, along with bassist Oliver Tobin and drummer Johnny Campbell, formed a trio and started a three-week stint at the Big Apple in Hamburg, Germany.

[24] The band had been left short-handed after the departure of members Derek ‘Doc’ Green and Peter Sanquest and faced the challenge of fulfilling their remaining gig commitments.

Having completed a musical apprenticeship in the showbands, and influenced by the increasing popularity of beat groups during the early 1960s, Gallagher decided it was time to form his own band.

[42] The band began rehearsing on the upper floor of 5 Park View, where the Kitteringham family lived, and made their debut on 10 September 1966 at a school dance held at the Imperial Hotel on Grand Parade in Cork.

[24] Looking to expand their reach to Belfast's blues scene, they performed at the city's Sammy Houston's Jazz Club on Great Victoria Street in December 1966.

The band's raw sound made an immediate impression on both critics and fellow musicians, with John Lennon telling a New Musical Express writer, “I heard Taste for the first time the other day and that bloke is going places.”[48] However, when Polydor showed interest in signing them, Kennedy insisted on replacing Damery and Kitteringham, citing the label's concerns.

[48] Despite initial resistance from Gallagher, the rhythm section was replaced by drummer John Wilson and bassist Richard McCracken, both experienced musicians from Belfast.

Taste would later tour the U.S as the opening act for blues supergroup Blind Faith, featuring Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech.

[49] The album showcased Gallagher’s creative range, mixing blues rock with acoustic ballads and experimental jazz-blues fusion.

Throughout 1970, Taste continued to build their reputation as a live band, breaking the Marquee Club’s all-time box office record on 21 July, previously held by Jimi Hendrix.

Notably, Wilson refused to go back onstage for an encore at a gig in Glasgow, and Gallagher claims they were not talking to each other at the Isle of Wight Festival.

During the heightened periods of political unrest in Northern Ireland, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about playing there at least once a year during his career.

This approach won him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, he became a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians.

In January 1975, when the Rolling Stones gathered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to continue working towards their album Black and Blue, they auditioned new guitarists, to replace Mick Taylor, as they recorded.

[56] The Gallagher band performed on several TV and radio shows across Europe, including Beat-Club in Bremen, Germany and the Old Grey Whistle Test.

"[82] In late October 2011, Dónal Gallagher brought the guitar out of retirement to allow Joe Bonamassa to perform with it on his two nights at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.

The buyer, the concert promoter Denis Desmond, made the purchase following discussions with the Irish Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, with the intention of donating the guitar to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI).

[96] After thirteen weeks in intensive care, while waiting to be transferred to a convalescent home, his health suddenly worsened when he contracted a staphylococcal (MRSA) infection, and he died on 14 June 1995, at the age of 47.

Many modern-day musicians, including The Edge from U2,[98] Slash of Guns N' Roses,[99] Johnny Marr of the Smiths,[100] Davy Knowles,[101] Janick Gers of Iron Maiden,[102] Alex Lifeson of Rush,[12][better source needed] James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers,[103] Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest,[104] Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard,[105] Gary Moore,[106] and Joe Bonamassa,[33][107] cite Gallagher as an inspiration in their formative musical years.

[110] In April 2014, at the time of the auction of Gallagher's Patrick Eggle "JS Berlin Legend" guitar, the BBC noted: "Eric Clapton credited him with 'getting me back into the blues'".