Thursday, 6 August 2026 · 6:30 pm
Roe River Books, 60 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk
A Live Music & Storytelling Evening with Gerry O’Connor
A single encounter can shape a lifetime.
In 1976, during a traditional music session in Mark’s Bar, fiddle player Gerry O’Connor was handed a photocopy of an article about the dance music of Oriel. That seemingly ordinary moment became the catalyst for more than forty years of music, research and scholarship.
The journey eventually led to the publication of The Rose in the Gap: Dance Music of Oriel from the Donnellan Collection in 2018.
Now Gerry brings this remarkable story to life through live fiddle music, beautiful imagery and captivating storytelling at Roe River Books, Dundalk’s independent bookshop.
Rediscovering the Music of Oriel
The Rose in the Gap explores a rich repertoire of traditional music once heard throughout Counties Louth, Armagh, Monaghan and Cavan.
Drawing on original manuscripts preserved in the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin, Gerry restored more than 287 melodies so they could once again be played, heard and enjoyed.
The collection reveals a vibrant regional tradition of dance music, song and dance, while also exploring the influence of Scottish music and culture across Oriel and South Ulster.
Historic maps, landscape photography and images of the original Donnellan manuscripts connect each melody to the people, communities and places from which it came.
Most importantly, the music will not remain on the page.
Throughout the evening Gerry performs many of these rediscovered tunes live on fiddle.
This event forms part of the growing programme of events at Roe River Books, bringing together books, music and local culture.
About Gerry O’Connor
Gerry O’Connor is one of Ireland’s most respected traditional fiddle players, as well as an author, teacher and musical researcher.
He has performed and recorded with Lá Lúgh and Skylark, and has collaborated with members of Planxty, The Bothy Band, De Dannan, Boys of the Lough and The Chieftains.
His presentation of The Rose in the Gap has been welcomed by universities, museums, libraries and cultural organisations in Ireland, Australia and the United States.
An Evening of Music, Landscape & Memory
Part live concert, part visual presentation and part musical detective story, this is a rare opportunity to experience the lost sound of Oriel through the musician who spent decades bringing it back to life.
Event Details
Thursday, 6 August 2026
6:30 pm – 8.30pm
Roe River Books
60 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 HR65
Places are limited. Advance booking is recommended.
