Joyful night as Gerry launches new album
The acclaimed local fiddle player Gerry O’Connor was joined by family and friends for the official launch of his second solo album ‘Last Night’s Joy’ last Friday in the Spirit Store.
It was a joyful occasion as Gerry was joined by a host of talented traditional musicians, including his wife Sile Boylan, sons Feilimí and Finnian, and daughter Siubhán, as they played a selection of tunes from the album and also from Gerry’s book ‘ The Rose in The Gap’.
Gerry, who is widely regarded as one of the top fiddle players in the country, paid tribute to all those who had helped release the album, especially the musicians who feature on it and Louth Arts Office for their support.
‘Last Night’s Joy’ is his second solo album, coming fourteen years after his debut solo recording ‘Journeyman’.
Gerry has, of course, been busy in the meantime, touring and recording with musicians such as Gilles le Bigot, The Irish Baroque Orchestra, and with fellow Dundalk musician, flute player Nuala Kennedy, Martin Quinn and Gilles le Bigot, on the album Oirialla. He also tours with celebrated Canadian-based group The Irish Rovers, with whom he has recorded five albums.
He features on the album ‘Jig Away the Donkey’ focusing on the music and song of South Ulster with Martin Quinn and Gabriel McArdle, and produced the album ‘ The High Hills of Larghy’ featuring of Fermanagh musician Séan Nugent’s compositions, and ‘I Have Travelled this Country’ documenting songs of Boys of the Lough musician Cathal McConnell.
Earlier this year he was awarded ‘Ceannródaí’, the prestigious Bardic Award by Comhaltas for his valued contribution to the Traditional Arts.
Gerry explained that his book ‘ The Rose in The Gap’ had its origins in him being given a copy of the Donnellan Collection of tunes from the Oriel region in Marks Bar many years ago. He returned to these dance tunes while doing his Masters at Dundalk Institute of Technology and has produced a book which will be a valuable reference to traditional musicians wishing to learn the music from the Louth/South Armagh region
Gerry will be performing tunes from ‘ The Rose in the Gap’ in the Welcome Inn, Forkhill on Wednesday October 31.