Declan O'Rourke is an Irish folk and rock singer-songwriter from Ireland, based in Kinvara. Born in Dublin on 26 April 1976, he begins performing and recording as a solo artist and builds a career around albums, live touring and collaborations within Irish music.

Early life and debut

At the age of 13, while living in Australia with his family, he receives his first guitar from a priest in Kyabram who recognises his interest in music. That place gives his debut album its title, Since Kyabram, which is released in October 2004. The album launch takes place over three sold-out nights at Whelan’s on Wexford Street in Dublin and is broadcast live on national radio. It enters the Irish album chart at number 5, is the only new Irish entry in the Top 75 that week, and quickly reaches gold and then platinum status.

Career highlights

Following the debut album, O'Rourke completes two sell-out nationwide Irish tours, with the second ending in a full-capacity show at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre in March 2005. He is selected as one of the few solo performers to appear on both the second and third television series of Other Voices. His tracks appear on the compilations Even Better Than The Real Thing Vol. 2 and Even Better Than The Real Thing Vol. 3, which support The National Children’s Hospital and Tsunami Relief.

Live work and collaborations

O'Rourke performs at the first Irish Woodstock in Inistioge, Kilkenny. He also plays guitar with Bic Runga on her European tour, opens several shows for Planxty at Vicar St., and appears on the same bill as Bob Dylan for three consecutive shows.

Later releases

His fourth studio album, Gold Bars in the Sun, is released in 2015. In 2016 he releases In Full Colour, described as a project built from work presented over a decade of sold-out concerts and performed with a full orchestra. In 2017 he releases the song cycle Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, which takes fifteen years to complete and features musicians from the Irish traditional music scene including Mick McGoldrick, Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke, Jack Maher, Chris Herzberger, Catriona Frost, Rob Calder and John Sheahan.

Awards and recognition

He is nominated for Best Irish Male at the 2008 Meteor Ireland Awards.