The 'Boro Sessions and Fiddle & Bow present Gerry O’Connor & Kevin McElroy

Fiddle & Bow and the 'Boro Sessions present Gerry O’Connor & Kevin McElroy in concert on Thursday, April 27 at 7:30PM at Carolina Church of the Covenant in Greensboro, NC.

Gerry O’Connor grew up in the town of Dundalk, County Louth in a family of musicians, dancers and singers. His mother Rose  (née O’Brien) taught Gerry and his siblings the fiddle at home and she continued to teach from there for the next 40 years. Students travelling from Armagh and Dublin as well as closer to home to learn from the doyenne of fiddle teachers. His father Peter was a singer whose seven uncles all played music.

From an early age Gerry was involved Irish music and dance, winning numerous All Ireland titles between 1967 and 1973 in a range of formations including duet, trio and four Céili Band titles.

Playing with Michael Coleman’s contemporary John Joe Gardiner in the 1970’s formed Gerry’s style of music, focussing on the fluid and ornamented lyrical fiddle playing of the great Sligo masters. His own background in step dancing translates into vibrant pulsating dance music for which he is noted; today he is regarded as one of the great fiddle players of his generation.

He has played and recorded with such highly-regarded groups as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark  (Len Graham, Gary O’Briain & Mairtin O’Connor), recording four CDs on the Claddagh label. Gerry has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band, De Dannan, Boys of the Lough and Chieftains.  Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss”  was voted Album of the Year 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine.   His solo album “Journeyman” was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by the Irish Times. This critically acclaimed solo album, co-produced with his son Dónal (Ulaid, At First Light), was heralded as a significant milestone in recording the music of the “Oriel” region of South Ulster.

Kevin McElroy

Kevin McElroy has been playing Irish Traditional Music since he was a teenager, inspired by his family’s music, dancing and Irish stories . Kevin sings and plays the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar. He had the good fortune of meeting and learning from some of Boston’s best Irish Musicians while playing banjo and backup guitar with Brendan Tonra, Séamus Connolly, Mike McDonagh, Larry Reynolds and other members of the Connaught Ceili Band during the great revival of Irish Traditional Music in Boston in the 80’s and 90’s.

Kevin has played often with Séamus Connolly and shared the stage with many top players including Joe Burke, Paddy Keenan, Jerry O’Sullivan and Msr. Charlie Coen, to name just a few. He can be heard on the Séamus Connolly Collection at Boston College. Mick Moloney, an encouraging figure to Kevin, hired him to teach banjo and mandolin alongside Seamus Egan at the Augusta Heritage Week.

Kevin has performed at many fine venues and festivals in the U.S. and Canada and has taught workshops in Traditional Irish Music. He has hosted concerts , and has helped to organize and coordinate musicians and presenters in Maine, where he has resided with his wife and three daughters for over 35 years.

Currently, Kevin works as a soloist performing as a singer, guitarist and fiddle player. Also as an accompanist with the great fiddler from Dundalk, Gerry O’Connor. He plays regularly with others in sessions, at set dances and in concerts. Kevin’s recordings include Irish Music for the Mandolin, Up the Winding River and Heather on the Moor and are available from him or at cdbaby.com