Darragh Curtin, Brosna CCÉ, a special young fiddler.
This young man hails from the heart of Sliabh Luachra, a place called Brosna.
Darragh started playing the fiddle when he was 10 years old. He became a member of Templeglantine Comhaltas along with his twin sister Suzanne and older brother Gearóid. Darragh was initially taught by Patricia Wright and he was always interested in practising, even before school in the morning. He always loved the Grúpaí Cheoil and Céilí band competitions. They won numerous All-Ireland titles with CCÉ Templeglantine under the excellent tutor, Siobhán Ní Chonaráin.
Darragh was also taught by Eileen O’Brien, Aisling Neville, and MacDara Ó Raghallaigh.
Darragh feels you can learn as much by listening and watching some of the older musicians like Donal O’Connor and Nicky McAuliffe (Brosna Céilí Band). These musicians were never afraid to impart their knowledge to him and spend time with him.
Darragh has several influences- Pádraig O’Keefe, Paddy Cronin, Tommy Peoples, Brian Rooney, Liam O’Connor, John Kelly, Bobby Casey, Frankie Gavin and his late grand-uncle Con Curtin to name but a few. Darragh loves the Sliabh Luachra style, but also loves the Sligo/Leitrim style of fiddling and marvels at how well Paddy Cronin adapted both styles.
While Darragh has just turned 20 years of age, he has won several awards, including All-Ireland duet with his sister Suzanne and trio with his brother Gearóid.
Playing the fiddle, he won the Maurice O’Keeffe Cup, and when he was 13, he won the individual performance award at Meitheal Summer School, earning him a solo performance in the National Concert Hall.
At the age of 16, he won the young Fiddler of East Clare (Vincent Griffin Cup) and the same year he was crowned Junior Fiddler of Dooney.
In 2015/2016 alone, he won the Senior Oireachtas Fiddle title (the youngest ever winner) and the Senior Fiddler of Dooney (only two people have completed this double). In 2015 also, he was announced as the winner of the Bonn Óir Sheáin Uí Riada, a fiddle competition which is held every 4 years. This competition always attracts a world class field of young fiddlers.
Last August in Ennis, Darragh won the coveted Senior Fiddle title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016. He becomes the first Kerry Senior Fiddler to win the All-Ireland fiddle competition since it began way back in 1951 and is also one of the youngest, if not the youngest champion at the age of 20.
His brother Gearóid also brought home gold as he became All- Ireland senior champion on the banjo.
Darragh is currently in his final year studying Irish and Media in Mary Immaculate College.
2017
