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 travel 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 in Irish music and dance, winning numerous All-Ireland titles between 1967 and 1973 in a range of formations, including duet, trio, and four Céilí Band titles.
Playing with Michael Coleman’s contemporary John Joe Gardiner in the 1970s formed Gerry’s style of music, focusing 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.