New book captures the genius of M‡irt’n O'Connor as a composer

One of Galway’s finest musicians, Máirtín O’Connor, who has played with everyone from Mark Knopfler to the Dubliners and who has been a member of De Dannan, Arcady and Skylark is just about to launch his first book.

But this is no tell all about Máirtín’s life on the road. Instead it’s a collection of some 60 of tunes which the renowned musician has composed over the years. Inside the Box, Outside the Box will be launched next Tuesday, March 22 at the College Bar, NUI, Galway by the Arts Council Director, Mary Cloake.

The book has been carefully put together by Máirtín, who explains “that over the years, musicians of various instruments have asked me for transcriptions of some of my tunes”.

It’s not surprising. Máirtín began playing the accordion at the age of nine and his remarkable career has seen him work with many musicians nationally and internationally, as well as composing a huge selection of tunes – he’s too modest to say how many he has written. Máirtín received an Arts Council grant under its Deis scheme to compile this book and selecting the tunes to include was a fairly straightforward process, he says.

“It was based on what people have asked me for most. And then there are some tunes that were scribbled here and there on bits of paper, new ones and old ones.

“They range from 'easy-to-play' tunes to some which are more difficult, for a balance.

“And the final parameter that determined the content, would be tunes that relate to the tradition and tunes that are related to but outside what people would recognise as traditional, for instance, The Road West, which is a cartoonish, meandering kind of tune.”

The book is called Inside the Box, Outside the Box for that reason; some of its tunes are directly in touch with tradition and some aren’t, he adds

Inside the Box, Outside the Box reflects the depth of Máirtín’s connection with music, both from Ireland and from traditions worldwide. It also presents many insights into the musician and his style of playing.

The aim is that this book will be an educational resource for musicians and teachers across the country. Máirtín has been described as critics as “technically brilliant with an infectious flamboyant style” and this book is a must for anyone with an interest in the man and his music.

Next up, Máirtín has plans for a new album which he is recording with his regular musical colleagues, fiddle player Cathal Hayden and guitarist, Séamie O’Dowd. It will feature some of the tunes from the book which he hasn’t yet recorded.

But first, there’s the launch of Inside the Box, Outside the Box.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.