Mandolin / Banjo / Bouzouki
Ross McNerney
From Longford, Ireland
Ross McNerney plays mandolin, banjo and bouzouki in Amble. He is from Longford, where he taught secondary school, and grew up in trad music: the band's other two members brought him in for his mandolin and banjo playing.
Ross’s Story
He was the one who made Amble a proper band. After an early gig as a trio, a support slot in front of 90 people that ended in a standing ovation, he sent Robbie and Oisín a voice note urging them to go all in.
Ross wrote "The Commons", the title track of the band's 2024 EP, on a train from Dublin to Longford, after finding an open letter on his tray table that told a mother's story of losing her son. "I left the train feeling hope, that's the big thing that struck me," he said.
In His Own Words
“It seemed like a mad decision to be leaving a pensionable teaching job.”
“4pm, playing to 12,000 people in a tent and everyone's singing the songs. It was emotional to be honest.”
“There's no wall of sound behind us to protect us, and the vulnerability is real. But I think that's what connects with people.”
Also in Amble
See Ross live: upcoming tour dates and what the band has been playing.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Amble (band) (2026) (external link, opens en.wikipedia.org in a new tab)
- Irish Examiner: 'It seemed mad to leave a pensionable job': Meet Amble, the Irish folk trio selling out shows at home and abroad (15 December 2024) (external link, opens irishexaminer.com in a new tab)
- The Line of Best Fit: Amble's accidental manifesto (19 August 2025) (external link, opens thelineofbestfit.com in a new tab)