Brendan Nolan is a true Dubliner. He grew up in Ireland at a time when there was a resurgence of interest in Irish music and when the singer-songwriter boom had taken off in North America. Both of these genres would ultimately influence his own music.

Brendan's song-writing skills denote a deep sensitivity. He has a gift for story telling. One of his songs, “North of the Rio Grande” was published in a school textbook in Norway. Another, “Far from their Home”, is in the National Archives of Ireland and Ntl. Library of Canada. It tells a harrowing story about Grosse Isle, an island burial ground in the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City for victims of the Irish Famine. The song was published in Sing Out! magazine.