Galway accordionist launches debut solo album after lifetime in music
Galway’s acclaimed button accordion player, Gerry Hanley, will launch his highly anticipated debut solo album, In the Middle of It – after a lifetime in the music business!
A lifelong musician rooted in Galway’s trad scene, the album was recorded over a year and a half with some of the country’s finest traditional players. It will be launched with a special gig at Monroe’s Live on Friday, August 22, from 7:30pm.
“There are twelve tracks of reels, jigs, hornpipes, slow airs – very much in the Galway style,” he says.
“My mother Eileen was from East Galway and my father Padraig from West Galway, so I was always listening to two different styles of accordion playing.
“This album is dedicated to their memory. They gave us everything. I never knew life without the sound of an accordion.”
Originally from Claregalway and Ballinasloe respectively, Padraig and Eileen Hanley settled in a house on the old Monivea Road in the parish of Castlegar, where the home was filled with music and song.
Padraig played the accordion, and young Gerry was surrounded by sessions and house gatherings that marked life’s happy moments.
“My first teacher was Tommy Mulhaire, and when I was twelve, my mother drove to Dublin and came back with a Paolo Soprani accordion from Walton’s Music Shop. It cost £42.10s, and I still play it on this recording,” says Gerry.
Gerry went on to perform widely throughout his youth and early adulthood, recording as far back as 1975 in Windmill Lane Studios and later with the Roudledum Band in the 1980’s. But this solo album is a first and it comes at a time in his life when he finally had the space to return to music more fully.
This milestone debut album reflects his personal and musical journey and stays true to the way he learned and loved music.
“It’s not trying to be flashy or fashionable. It’s traditional music, the way I heard it growing up, from the famous and not-so-famous players.”
Among his inspirations are Joe Burke and Joe Cooley, whom he met in 1973 when Cooley returned from the U.S., not long before his passing.
“He had an inspiring way of playing and meeting him was a very powerful and emotional moment,” says Gerry.
His album, In the Middle of It, was produced by pianist, composer, and long-time friend Carl Hession, whom he has known since school days.
The acclaimed accompanist and arranger brings his signature touch to the recording, alongside contributions from Maureen Fahy on fiddle, and Eimear Coughlan on harp.
Next year, Gerry and fellow musicians have been invited to perform in Menlo Park, California during St. Patrick’s Week, 2026.
The invitation builds on a longstanding relationship between Gerry and the Californian tech hub. He was part of the initial delegation to visit the city, creating the opportunity for sister city status between Galway and Menlo Park, CA.
Looking ahead to the Galway launch at Monroe’s Live this August, he says: “It’s daunting in some ways, but exciting. I’ve shared a musical journey with many of the people involved in this project. I hope this album captures the spirit of the music I grew up with and I’m looking forward to a good night in Monroes!”
Gerry Hanley wil have a host of special guests at his debut album launch at Monroe’s Live on Friday, August 22, from 7:30pm. For more, see www.gerryhanleymusic.com and www.monroes.ie.
Pictured: Gerry Hanley and Carl Hession...musical collaborators and friends.