Nioclas Toibin

Nioclás Tóibín was born on 5 February 1928 in Baile Uí Raghallaigh, Heilbhic, a Gaeltacht area in County Waterford, Ireland. He was the youngest of eight children, all of whom were musical. His uncle, Nioclás Mór, was a writer and a singer who influenced him greatly and taught him many songs. He also learned songs from his parents, his teachers, and his community. He left school at the age of 14 and worked as a farmer and a fisherman. He also emigrated to England for a while, but returned to his native place around 1960. He devoted his life to singing, performing on radio, television, and concerts. He won the main competition at Oireachtas na Gaeilge, the national festival of Irish language and culture, three times in a row from 1961 to 1963. He had a repertoire of about 300 songs in Irish and English, and he also played the violin and other instruments. He never married and died on 19 September 1994 in An Rinn, County Waterford. He is remembered as one of the finest exponents of the sean-nós style, the traditional unaccompanied singing of Ireland.