Some evenings remind us exactly why an independent bookshop matters to a town. Our recent evening with traditional Irish fiddle player, author and researcher Gerry O’Connor was certainly one of them.

On Thursday, 6 August, Roe River Books was packed for Gerry’s lecture concert based on his book, The Rose in the Gap: Dance Music of Oriel from the Donnellan Collection. What began as an hour-long presentation developed into an evening of traditional Irish music, local history, questions, book and CD signings, and plenty of conversation.

It was wonderful to see the shop so full and, in particular, to welcome so many familiar faces back through the door. People came to hear Gerry play, learn about the music of Oriel and spend an evening together in the heart of Dundalk.

An Evening of Music from Oriel

Before the first tune was played, Tom Muckian welcomed everyone to Roe River Books and introduced the evening. Gerry would be playing a selection of melodies from The Rose in the Gap, while explaining the history, people, places and research behind the music.

The book grew from decades of Gerry’s work with the traditional dance music of Oriel. During the presentation, the audience could see how melodies preserved through manuscripts and research can be brought back to life when a musician picks up the fiddle and plays them again.

If you would like to learn more about the background to the concert, you can read our original article about The Rose in the Gap and Gerry O’Connor .

Music, History and the Stories Behind the Tunes

Gerry’s presentation was about much more than simply performing a collection of tunes. He explored the social history surrounding the music and the communities in which these melodies were once played.

One of the tunes performed was Betty Black, an old reel preserved in the Donnellan Collection. Gerry used the music to talk about older forms of social dancing, including sets and quadrilles, and how some dancing traditions changed or disappeared over time.

At their heart, these were social dances. Music brought people together. They met, danced, talked and enjoyed each other’s company. Hearing that music played again in a room full of people in Dundalk made that history feel remarkably relevant.

Another intriguing title associated with the music is Follow My Love to Carlow. Names such as Betty Black leave plenty of questions behind. Who was Betty Black? Where did the name come from? What stories once accompanied these tunes?

Questions, More Fiddle and Time to Meet Gerry

Towards the end of the lecture, Gerry opened the floor to questions. Members of the audience could ask about the music, the collection and the research before Gerry finished the formal part of the evening with a few more tunes.

But the evening certainly did not finish when Gerry put down his fiddle.

People stayed in the shop to meet him, continue the conversation and share their own stories. Gerry signed copies of The Rose in the Gap and CDs, while people chatted, mingled and caught up with friends and familiar faces.

Tom had joked at the beginning of the evening that, from the “commercial point of view”, he had to remind everyone that Gerry’s books and CDs would be available afterwards. It raised a laugh, but supporting the musicians, writers and researchers who create this work is also an important part of keeping it alive.

What had begun as a lecture concert became almost two hours of music, books, stories and conversation.

Why Evenings Like This Matter to Roe River Books

As a family-run independent bookshop in Dundalk, we want Roe River Books to be somewhere people can do more than simply buy a book.

We want the shop to be a place where people can meet an author, hear a musician, discover something about our local history, ask questions and meet other people who share their interests.

Seeing every seat occupied and hearing conversations continue after the formal presentation had finished was a good reminder of why we organise these events. The books matter, the music matters, but bringing people together matters too.

You can learn more about Roe River Books and our independent bookshop in Dundalk , which has been part of the town since 2007.

Watch Gerry O’Connor at Roe River Books

We also captured parts of the evening on video. Below you can watch Gerry performing and hear some of the stories behind the music for yourself.

Gerry has also written about Betty Black and the evening from his own perspective. You can read Gerry O’Connor’s article about Betty Black and The Rose in the Gap .

Photography and video from the event were produced by Astory Media, Marketing Agency Dundalk .

Thank You from Roe River Books

A sincere thank you to Gerry for bringing The Rose in the Gap, his fiddle and so many years of knowledge and research into our shop.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who came through the doors. You filled the shop, listened, asked questions, bought books and CDs, stayed to chat and helped create a very special evening.

This is exactly the kind of evening we want to continue hosting at Roe River Books. You can see what is coming next on our events at Roe River Books in Dundalk page.

We look forward to seeing you back in the shop soon.

Tom Muckian
Roe River Books
60 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth