The Irish American Heritage Museum proudly welcomes Gerry O'Connor and Kevin McElroy to IAHM's Flanagan Theater, for the Museum's May installment of the 2025 Trad/Folk Performance Series concert.
Gerry O’Connor - a native of Dundalk, Co. Louth - grew up in a family of musicians, dancers and singers, all taught at home by his mother, Rose. His father Peter was himself a singer whose seven uncles all played music. Rose passed her skill on to hundreds of others over the next four decades, students travelling from Armagh and Dublin as well as counties Meath and Louth to learn from the doyenne of fiddle teachers.
From an early age, Gerry was involved in Irish music, winning numerous All Ireland awards in a range of duets, trios and céilí band titles. Playing with Michael Coleman’s contemporary, John Joe Gardiner, in the 1970s shaped Gerry’s style in the form of the fluid, lyrical fiddle-playing of the great Sligo masters. He was a step-dancer too, a grounding which complements his music, imbuing it with vibrancy, a pulsating rhythm for which he is noted, marking him today as one of the great fiddle players of his generation.
Gerry has played and recorded with Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark (Len Graham, Gary O’Briain & Máirtín O’Connor), recording four CDs on the Claddagh label. He has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary traditional music ensembles, including Planxty, Bothy Band, De Danann, Boys of the Lough and The Chieftains. Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss” was voted Album of the Year in 1996 by readers of Irish Music magazine, and Gerry’s solo CD Journeyman was rated in the top five Albums of 2004 by The Irish Times. This critically acclaimed recording, co-produced with his son Dónal (At First Light), was heralded as a milestone in the recorded music of the Oriel region of South Ulster. His second solo album “Last Night’s Joy” was released in 2018.
Gerry is also known as a remarkable teacher of Irish arts and fiddle, on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, Gerry is scheduled to present to local school district music department when in the Capitol District.
Gerry is well known for his international work touring and has recorded with the celebrated Irish-Canadian band The Irish Rovers.
Gerry is joined by his musical partner, Kevin McElroy. Kevin celebrates his Irish heritage in song and tunes, singing and masterfully playing guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin.
