A Gaelic Roots concert with Gerry O'Connor and Kevin McElroy

Gerry O'Connor is from Dundalk, County Louth and was taught by his mother, Rose, who was a descendant of three generations of fiddle players. With a focus on his local music of Oriel, he is known worldwide as a soloist and as a founding band member of Lá Lúgh, Skylark, and Oirialla. His playing is noted for its vibrancy and pulsating rhythm, attributed to his early years of step-dancing and to the influence of John Joe Gardiner, with whom he played the inaugural Comhaltas Seisiún series in the early 1970s. 

Gerry has played and recorded with highly regarded groups such as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark (Len Graham, Gary O'Briain, and Martin O'Connor), releasing four CDs on the Claddagh label. He has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups, including Planxty, Bothy Band, De Dannan, Boys of the Lough, and the Chieftains. Lá Lúgh's album, Brighid's Kiss, was voted Album of the Year in 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine. His solo album, Journeyman, was considered one of the top five albums of the year in 2004 by the Irish Times. This critically acclaiemd solo album, co-produced with his son Dónal (Ulaid, At First Light) was hailed as a signifcant milestone in recoridng the music of the Oriel region of South Ulster. Gerry has published "I Have Travelled this Country," a collection of Cathal McConnell's songs, featuring six hours of unaccompanied song recordings. His tune collection, "The Rose in the Gap - The Dance Music of Oriel," was first published in 2018. Gerry is also a highly regarded violin maker and music producer. 

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin McElroy will join Gerry. Kevin's singing style was informed by his studies of traditional singing with the late greats Sean Corcoran and Franke Harte. Kevin has performed at many venues and festivals in the U.S. and Canada. He can be heard on "The Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music" at Boston College.