Roe River Books

08/09/2026

The Road to Dublin, also known as Within a Mile of Dublin, is one of those traditional Irish reels I always enjoy coming back to.

I included it as tune No. 119 in The Rose in the Gap collection.

That’s one of the things I love about traditional music. Tunes travel from player to player and generation to generation, and along the way they sometimes pick up different names, different variations and a little bit of each musician who plays them.

So I’m curious, what do you call this one, The Road to Dublin or Within a Mile of Dublin? And where did you first learn it?

01/09/2026

17/08/2026

Sunday afternoon in Greenore, celebrating our railway heritage. 🚂

This Sunday, we came together to remember what was once a prosperous and important railway village in County Louth, and a fascinating part of Greenore’s history.

We were hosted by the Co-op Tea Rooms with Brian and Anne, with two beautiful steam engines on display, while the music was taken care of by the Ukulele Strummers from Dundalk. Unfortunately, they don’t have Instagram, so I couldn’t tag them. 🎶

It was a day filled with a lovely atmosphere, plenty of singing, refreshments and families enjoying themselves.

The steam engines were especially interesting for the kids, but also for anyone who wanted to get a closer look at the machinery and take a few photographs.

I took a selection of photographs throughout the afternoon as well.

If you see yourself or your family in any of the photos and you’d like a high-quality copy, just contact me. I’m not charging anything for them.

This is simply something I’m doing for the local community. 📸

09/08/2026

Betty Black, a tune from The Rose in the Gap 🎻

I played Betty Black during my recent evening at Roe River Books, an independent bookshop in Dundalk, where we explored the music, history and stories of Oriel.

These old tunes were part of social life. People came together to play music, dance, meet friends and, very often, for young men and women to meet each other.

During the evening, I also spoke about how Irish social dancing changed over time and how some of the older dances and musical traditions survived longer in parts of Northern Ireland.

Who was Betty Black?
And what is the story behind another intriguing title in the collection, Follow My Love to Carlow?

Perhaps somebody here knows more.

Have you heard Betty Black before, or do you know anything about the tune or its name?

I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Gerry

08/08/2026

Less Talk, More Fiddle, Gerry O’Connor Live at Roe River Books, Dundalk

After sharing the stories and history behind the music from my recent event at Roe River Books in Dundalk, I realised there had been quite a lot of talking.

So this time, less talk and more fiddle. Let’s enjoy the music from that special evening at Roe River Books, an independent bookshop in Dundalk.

I’ve also included some photographs capturing a few moments from the event. (Supplied by .media )

It was a wonderful evening celebrating Irish traditional music, the musical heritage of Oriel, and the book The Rose in the Gap.

Thank you again to everyone who filled the shop and made the evening what it was.

For now, I’ll stop talking.

Turn up the sound and enjoy the fiddle.

Gerry

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

The Rose in the Gap, An Evening I’ll Never Forget

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of presenting my book, The Rose in the Gap, at Roe River Books in Dundalk.

The response was beyond anything I expected. The bookshop was packed, and it was a real privilege to see so many people come together to celebrate the music, history and traditions of Oriel. Thank you to everyone who came along, listened, shared stories and made the evening so special.

During the talk, I spoke about the journey behind The Rose in the Gap, the remarkable people who helped bring the project to life, the geography that shaped the music, and why it is so important that we continue to preserve and pass on our Irish musical heritage. I also shared the meaning behind the title and reflected on my late mother, who first taught me to play the fiddle.

It was wonderful to meet so many of you afterwards while signing books and CDs. Your support, kind words and enthusiasm mean a great deal to me.

A sincere thank you to everyone who helped make this project and the evening possible, especially Tom Muckian and the wonderful team at Roe River Books, May, Catherine, Conall and Raquel. Your hard work and warm hospitality created a memorable evening that I will always remember.

A special thank you also to Zane Vondracek of Astory Media for his continued work across my projects. If you are looking for professional photography, videography, website design or digital marketing, I can highly recommend his work.

If you would like a signed copy of The Rose in the Gap, or one of my CDs, please get in touch with me or call into Roe River Books. I will be delighted to sign a copy for you.

Thank you once again for your support. It means more than words can say, and I look forward to seeing you again very soon.

29/07/2026

📚July new Fiction titles 📚
Part 3

29/07/2026

📚July new Fiction titles 📚
Part 2

29/07/2026

📚July new Fiction titles 📚
Part 1