Joe Madden

Joe Madden (1938–2008) from Portumna arrived in New York in 1959, not long after taking second place to Joe Burke in the All-Ireland button accordion championship.

Paddy Killoran heard of the young man’s talent and offered him a job. Joe’s daughter Joanie tells the story:

“When my Father came to America he got a call from Paddy Killoran to play in his band that he had over thirty gigs for him. He went to hear Paddy on the qt to check him out and when he heard him mixing all the music up with trad Music and modern music he said no way and no thank you! A week later, my dad got a letter from his mother saying his father had a heart attack and they were in desperate need for money. He called back Paddy and asked him by chance were the gigs still available and he said, “Joey, I was hoping you would call me back.” He went off to do the thirty shows with Paddy and then stayed with him for a few years, and then Paddy got sick and wound up in the hospital. Paddy asked my father to visit him in the hospital he said, “Joey, I’m finished” and he asked my father to take over the band and take over all the shows that he had, and that’s when Joe Madden‘s orchestra was formed.”

Joe kept the band together, playing hundreds of gigs for weddings, parties and County association balls through the 1970s and kept playing with smaller groups until 1985.