The novelist John Broderick was born in Connaught Street, Athlone in 1924. Among his 12 published novels, his best known is The Pilgrimage (1961). His bestseller, An Apology for Roses (1973), sold 30,000 copies in the first week of its publication in 1973.
He died in Bath, England where he had lived for eight years. Following his death, he bequeathed his estate to the Arts Council of Ireland for ‘the benefit and enhancement of the Arts in Athlone’.
His writer in residency series, supported by this fund and based in Athlone, is run in partnership with Westmeath County Council. This 2024 publication of The Waking of Willie Ryan, celebrating the centenary of John Broderick's birth, has been funded through the John Broderick Bequest.
JOHN BRODERICK (1924-89) was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, and died in Bath, England. He worked as a journalist and was author of numerous works including The Pilgrimage (1961), An Apology for Roses (1973), The Pride of Summer (1976), London Irish (1979) and The Trial of Father Dillingham (1982).
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