Gerry Fancy Power

Gerry Power has long been one of Dunmore 's leading musicians. Gerry first began playing at the family home at

Killea, Dunmore East. Gerry began learning rag time guitar in his early years, (a style used by American Negros)

who would convert piano tunes on to guitar using an unique style of finger and thumb picking.

Gerry was further influenced by musicians such as “Blind Blake” and “The Rev Gary Davis” and to this day can often

launch into Blind Blake's famous up tempo “Too Tight” or tunes by other artists including “Cheap Wine” or “Make Me

a Pallet on Your Floor” etc.

Gerry was also a fan of Bob Dylan but even more so of “Ramblin Jack Elliot” and other American artists such as

Woody Guthrie and John Sebastian.

Gerry's guitar style was mostly unheard of in the Ireland of the late sixties and it was all too often a budding guitar

player or intending musician would contemplate going home and “burning their instruments” after being exposed to

some of Gerry's intricate finger style playing at one of the local sessions.

Most of us remember Gerry's version of “Dead Skunk” as being as much a part of our Dunmore youth, as long hair,

puffs of home grown weed, and bottles of Bass.

One of Gerry's first bands was “The Candlelighters” which he joined as a young guitar player in the late sixties. This

was a group which consisted of Kieran and Louis O'Dwyer and Gerry. They usually played in the dining room of the

Candlelight Inn on week-end nights following Michael O'Dwyer's popular cabaret entertainment which took place in

the bar.

Gerry moved on after The Candlelighters and extended his repertoire to include traditional Irish music and ballads.

During the mid to late seventies Gerry was offered a tour supporting Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem during one of

their USA visits.

Gerry held a local residency in The Ocean Hotel for many years and is now still playing at local sessions including a

traditional session at Powers Bar every Thursday night.

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