Declan O’Rourke comes from a family of music lovers, but it was a chance encounter in Australia at the age of 13 – and maybe some divine intervention – that sparked the chain of events that would lead to a career in music.

“My parents were visiting friends that we had from home and they had an uncle up in the countryside who was a priest. He had a couple of guitars and he caught me playing with one of them. When we were going home a couple of days later, he gave me one. He showed me two chords and sent me on my way – and that was the beginning of a journey,” he says.

Four albums and countless gigs later, Declan reflects on the significance of the gift.

“That was a fundamental moment. It was a very kind gesture and I’m very grateful to him… I wish him luck whatever he’s doing now.”

Soft spoken and slightly gruff, Declan, like most singer-songwriters, is a pensive sort of person. Originally from Dublin, the musician has been living in west Galway for over eight years. Though it was an adjustment, country life suits him.

“It’s good for peace of mind and anything that is good for peace of mind is good for creativity,” he says.

“Funnily enough, when I moved first I found it hard to write for a while because I had to get used to having less social friction, less stimulation from other sources. I eventually got over that.”

After living in Australia for a short period as a child, Declan returned after finishing school before coming home again in 2000.

“I had spent a few years in Australia writing songs and learning my craft. When it was time to pursue a career, I said: ‘OK, I have to go home and try and find a way to get myself out there,’” he says.

“I was only home a couple of weeks when I found an open mic night in Dublin and I threw myself in at the deep end. I went from never playing my songs in public to performing 140 times that year. I completely had the bug and that was me. I never looked back.

“I believe when you take a step towards something you want to achieve, it comes towards you. You just have to make the start.”

Declan, who hasn’t released music under a label for eight years, stresses the importance of staying true to your own vision and “serving your apprenticeship” in the industry.

“You have to keep an eye on your own goal. It’s good to listen to other people and observe, but at the end of the day it’s about you and your own personality and what you want to achieve. Follow your gut instinct,” he says.

“Everything takes twice as long as you think. I was years chipping away at stuff before I even performed in public. People always assume that success is instant, but people aren’t ready when it happens quickly.

“It all sounds very idealistic, but when you love what you’re doing, it’s more of a passion than a career. Like, you often make decisions that go against what might serve you well in terms of financial gain just because you care about what you’re doing.”

This strategy has worked well so far. We ask Declan how it felt when Paul Weller described Galileo, which has been covered by musicians such as Josh Groban, as “possibly the greatest song written in the last 30 years”. His response is typically laid-back.

“It’s lovely to hear and doesn’t do you any harm whatsoever. I’m very glad to hear things like that… it gives you a grip to your mill,” he says.

In 2014, Declan made the decision to release a song every month through his website, rather than record sales.

“I found that I had a buildup of songs that weren’t getting a chance to be aired. I thought by the time I release this material it’s going to be old. It was an attempt to speed up the process and was an experiment. I thought if I release a song every month, it would be faster than making a record every two or three years,” he says.

“You’re going to die off fairly quickly if you rely on CD sales these days because young people don’t buy music like that. They listen to it through Spotify and things like that,” he says.

“The idea is to support yourself through concerts, but people will only go if they like your music. You have to get rid of the notion of supporting yourself through CDs and just get your music out there, and hopefully people will see you at gigs…”

He stops himself. ”I’ve made it sound complicated, haven’t I?”

1916

As part of the centenary celebrations, he will be performing at the National Concert Hall on 29 March with Kevin Rowland and Sean Read of Dexys in an event that will look at the musical interplay between Ireland and England. When we spoke to Declan, he was just back from his old national school where he performed his song, Children of ’16, which he says has been getting a good response from the younger audience.

It’s been a busy few months. He released Gold Bars in the Sun last year, married his long-term girlfriend, stuntwoman Eimear O’Grady, and is just back from a tour of Australia. A new album, which was recorded with a full orchestra, is set for release in May.

It’s a job that Declan never takes for granted.

“There are times when it is a bit of a challenge. But there are many more lovely moments that outweigh it, where you say: ‘Wow, I’m really lucky to be doing what I’m doing,” he says. “It all feeds itself into a lovely journey.” ?

Inspired by themes from the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, the National Concert Hall’s Imagining Home is a series of seven concerts that speak of Ireland’s cultural journey over the last 100 years. Declan O’Rourke will perform with Martin Carthy, Camille O’Sullivan, Cáit O’Riordan, Paul Brady, Andy Irvine, Cathal Coughlan, Lisa O’Neill, Kevin Rowland and Sean Read of Dexys on Tuesday 29 March at 8pm. Tickets cost €39.50, €29.50, €22.50. Visit www.nch.ie.