| Gerry O'Connor | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Gerry O'Connor |
| Birth Place: | Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland |
| Occupation: | Musician, producer, composer, Music teacher |
| Genre: | Irish traditional Folk Celtic music |
| Years Active: | 1983 |
| Label: | Lughnasa Music Sony Music Claddagh Records Gael Linn |
| Associated Acts: | Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Dónal O'Connor, Gilles le Bigot, The Irish Rovers, Oirialla |
Gerry "Fiddle" O'Connor is born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. Gerry is a traditional Irish fiddle player, and founding member of bands, Skylark and La Lúgh. He tours as a solo fiddle player and performs with a variety of projects
The O'Connor family has played fiddle for at least four generations with Gerry learning his music from his mother, Rose O'Connor, and also from hand-written manuscripts passed down through the family. His father Peter was a singer.
He later came under the influence of Sligo fiddler John Joe Gardiner. Gerry's performances concentrate on long forgotten tunes from his home area in the North East of Ireland, many of which were recorded on his 2004 album, Journeyman. From 2005–10 Gerry Lectured in Traditional Music Performance at Dundalk Institute of Technology during which time he was awarded with MA by Research on the Dance Music of Oriel under the supervision of Dr Fintan Vallely.This research was published as The Rose in The Gap The Dance Music of Oriel in 2018 by Lughnasa Music. CCE awarded Gerry the prestigious Gradam award in 2018 for his lifetime services to the traditional arts.
In addition to his solo performances and recordings, O'Connor is a founding member of three bands: Skylark (who have recorded four albums) and with Eithne Ní Uallacháin in La Lúgh (whose album Brighid's Kiss was voted album of the year in 1996 by readers of Irish Music Magazine). He has recently released album Oirialla with his new band featuring mostly unpublished Music and Song of South Ulster.[1]
Gerry has also toured and recorded with the Irish Baroque Orchestra and is the compiler and publisher of “I have Travelled this Country” a book with CD ROM documenting Cathal McConnell’s Boys of the Lough formidable collection of traditional song. With Breton Guitarist Gilles le Bigot This Irish / Breton duo recorded a live album In Concert in DZ (Douarananez) and have toured together each year since 2006. Together they have toured in France, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Canada and Australia
In September 2013 Gerry joined The Irish Rovers.http://www.theirishroversmusic.com for their "Farewell to Roving Tours of eastern Canada and USA. He continues touring with this legendary band of 50 years and records on all their albums since 2011
Gerry is also a qualified violin maker and works as restorer and supplier of fine instruments when at home. He was Céilí Band Music Consultant on the film "Boys and Girls of County Clare" (Lionsgate) 2003 worked as Fiddle Coach with Colm Meaney, Andrea Corr, Bernard Hill and Partick Bergin.
Recently Gerry has been working with Fintan Vallely on the development of "Compánach", an audio visual intimate acoustic recital of music and song which interprets the nature, scope and quality of Irish Traditional music as described in the encyclopedia Companion to Irish Traditional Music. http://www.comitm.com A double Cd of the show has been recorded to accompany this popular touring show.
Gerry is married to fiddle player and chartered engineer Síle Boylan. They have two young children.
Gerry was previously married to the singer Eithne Ní Uallacháin from 1978 until her death in 1999.[2] Their eldest son, Dónal is a fiddler, producer and recording studio owner, and performs with At First Light and Ulaidh. Their daughter Siubhán is a lawyer with an international accountancy firm and is a fiddle player and singer. Their second son Feilimí is a factual television director and producer with Stirling Films and Television Productions Belfast and singer.[3] Gerry and Eithne's third son Finnian is a Uilleann Piper and has toured Europe and USA with various dance productions