1950s
Sonny was admired by Barney McKenna of The Dubliners (to whom he gave lessons), and got the tune "The Swallow Tail Reel" from Sonny. When the young Co Clare accordion player, Tony MacMahon came to Dublin first in 1957, he made it a priority to seek out Sonny Brogan about whom he heard, meet him and ask for lessons. Tony and Barney regularly visited him for lessons and Tony MacMahon has always to this day given special mention to Sonny at each of his own concerts. He had other pupils and he always urged them to develop their own individual style and not to copy other players. Tony MacMahon and Sonny Brogan have both been cited as influences more recently by Mick Mulcahy.
Sonny Brogan spent much time with Irish accordion player James Keane during Keane's youth in the 1950s and 1960s, and regularly played together with Keane in 'The Fiddlers' club aka 'St Mary's' with many other well-known musicians, including John Egan, “Hυgе″ Tom Mulligan, Finbar Furey and Ted Furey (his father), Des O’Connor, John Joe Gannon аnd John Joe (father аnd son box players frοm Horseleap, Co Westmeath), Patrick Keane (James Keane's father), Seán Keane (James Keane's brother), and Mick O’Connor.
Sonny also frequented John Kelly's shop at the end of Capel Street, Dublin, usually to discuss the intricacies of tunes, as customers came and went.
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