The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
Vincent Broderick was born in Carrowmore, Bullaun, near Loughrea in East Galway. He was one of 11 children, nine boys of which four died in infancy and two girls. He was first introduced to music by his mother at 5 years of age. She taught both himself and his brother Peter the tin whistle. His first public performance was at a school concert.
Vincent remembered attending a concert of the famous Ballinakill Céilí Band with his brother Peter in 1932. The two brothers were asked to join the band for a few selections, and they were delighted. From then on, they were both invited to play at all sorts of occasions.
Vincent left school when he was 13 to help his father with turf cutting in the bog. When the men stopped for a rest they would all play tunes. Vincent became known for picking these tunes up quickly as he had a great musical ear.
A major part of local cultural life was the Mummers, or wren boys. These were groups of local musicians, singers and dancers who would travel about at Christmas time collecting money for the traditional ‘Wren Dance’. Vincent and Peter were actively involved for many years. The major influences of the time for the young lads were Joe Cooley, Joe Leary, Aggie White, Paddy Carty, Joe Mills and the great Son Donnelly.
Vincent was also a keen hurler and won the Galway Championship in 1950 with the local club St Killian’s, which in time became the famous Sarsfield’s club in Bullaun, Co. Galway.
In 1951 Vincent came to Dublin and joined the Pipers’ Club. The members at the time included Leo Rowsome, Mrs Harrington, John Joe Gardiner, Willie Clancy, Seán Seery and many more. It was there that Vincent met Pat Brophy and the other Brophy brothers and he joined them in the Brophy Céilí band. In later years Pat’s granddaughter, Claire, married Vincent’s son, Vincent Junior.
He took part in the first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Monaghan in 1952 and took second place in the concert flute competition. The following year he won the concert flute competition at the Fleadh in Athlone and in 1954 at the Cavan Fleadh he won both the concert flute and the duets competition with Kieran Kelly. In 1952 and 1953 Vincent also won the Oireachtas Feadóg Mhór competition. Vincent’s brother Peter was also successful in the same period winning the All-Ireland in 1955 with a flute he made himself from a two-foot length of copper pipe. He played his own composition “The Thatcher’s Mallet”.
Vincent participated at many Fleadhs over the years, and he is fondly remembered in Robbie McMahon’s song The Fleadh down in Ennis about the 1956 Fleadh in Ennis, Co. Clare.
They came down from Dublin so hearty and gay
They brought Leo Rowsome to show them the way
Himself and Sean Seery they played all the day
With their flute player Vincent O Broderick
Vincent met and married his wife Phyllis in 1955 and they had three sons, Larry, Vincent and Des. He worked as a plasterer and although he experienced tough times in the construction industry he was able to rely on his musical talents to help pay the bills. Traditional music was part of family life in the Broderick household as Larry and Des both played regularly with Vincent and with many other musicians who frequently visited the family home.
He notably played with Sean Ó Riada, Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Seán Keane at the first production of Bryan Mac Mahon’s play The song of the anvil at the Abbey Theatre in 1960. This was just before Seán Ó Riada moved to Cork and the formation of the Chieftains. He was associated with the Kincora Céilí Band and was founder member of the Éamonn Ceannt Ceili Band with Vi Preston, with whom he played for over 25 years. His son Larry, also a flute player, played with them in later years.
Vincent had a long association with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and participated in summer Fonntraí and Seisiún shows and was a member of international tours to the UK, the USA and Canada. As a member of the Pipers’ Club CCÉ in Thomas Street he produced and took part in many All-Ireland winning Scoraíocht and Plearacha, along with his son Des, a fiddle player. He taught tin whistle and flute every Saturday night in CCÉ headquarters in Monkstown.
He received many honors over the years, including the prestigious TG4 Gradam Ceoil award for Cumadóir na Bliana (Composer of the Year) in 2003 and a Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Award for his contribution to traditional music in 2008.
Vincent is best known as a composer of over 200 tunes, which is a remarkable feat given that he couldn’t read music – he composed and remembered everything in his head. Tune names were critical to him as a means of remembering his tunes, and in choosing names for his compositions he was inspired by sights, sounds, life experiences, local history and folklore. Most of the tunes have a story behind them and he was renowned for his story telling about his compositions. He has also composed poetry, recitations and songs.
He recorded his compositions on cassette tapes and sent them to Antóin Mac Gabhann for transcription. The results were published by Walton’s Music in The Turoe Stone Collection, Volume 1 in 1990 and Volume 2 in 2007. The Broderick family are especially grateful to Antóin Mc Gabhann who meticulously transcribed Vincent’s tunes for these books. ITMA have since made these recordings available online.
Vincent Broderick was an All-Ireland Champion, Oireachtas winner, a legendary flute player, prolific composer, award winner, skillful hurler, song writer, poet, teacher and loving husband and father.
Des Broderick, 2024
