Liam Clancy
Encyclopedia
William "Liam" Clancy (Irish
Liam Mac Fhlannchadha) was an Irish
folk singer
and actor from Carrick-on-Suir
, County Tipperary
. He was the youngest and last surviving member of performing group The Clancy Brothers
. The group were regarded as Ireland's first pop stars. They recorded 55 albums, achieving global sales of millions and appearing at a sold-out Carnegie Hall
, New York
and the Royal Albert Hall
, London
.
Liam was regarded as the group's most powerful vocalist. Bob Dylan
regarded him as the greatest ballad singer ever, whilst Gay Byrne
described him as one of the “most famous four Irishmen in the world”. He was a central figure during the 1960s folk revival, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean
. Shortly before his death in 2009 The Irish Times
said Clancy "does seem a little like a figure from the Pleistocene era": upon his death the newspaper said his legacy was secured.
, County Tipperary
. Born there he was in 1935 as one of eleven children of Robert Joseph Clancy and Joanna McGrath. The first song he learned was "The Croppy Boy
". He received a Christian Brothers
education before taking a job as an insurance man in Dublin. Whilst there he also took night classes at the National College of Art and Design
.
However, while still in his teens, Liam explored writing and painting, though he was particularly drawn to the theatre. In his early performing days, he began to call himself Liam rather than William or Willie. Before he was twenty years old, Liam had founded the local dramatic society now called "Brewery Lane Theatre and Arts Centre", and had produced, directed, set-directed, and starred in John Millington Synge
's The Playboy of the Western World
. Liam also performed at the renowned Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. He encountered Diane Hamilton Guggenheim
when she came to his hometown to visit his mother, and set off on a tour of Ireland alongside her. During her 1955 trip to Keady
, Clancy encountered Tommy Makem
for the first time. He would later pursue Guggenheim to the United States
. He referred to Greenwich Village as "the island for people escaped from repressed backgrounds".
Clancy began singing with his brothers at fund-raising events for the Cherry Lane Theatre
and the Guthrie benefits. The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
, began recording on Paddy Clancy's Tradition label in the late 1950s. Liam Clancy played guitar
in addition to singing and also recorded several solo albums. They recorded their seminal The Rising of the Moon
album in 1959, giving live performances in the American cities of Boston
, Chicago
and New York
. A record-breaking sixteen minute long performance on American TV's The Ed Sullivan Show
on 17 March 1961 launched the group into stardom. They were supposed to only play two songs but the main act cancelled at short notice. There were international tours, which included performances at Carnegie Hall
(a sell-out in 1962) and the Royal Albert Hall
. Their trademark attire was Aran geansaí
—these were sent across the water by Mrs Clancy for her boys to wear against the unforgiving American climate. The quartet recorded numerous albums for Columbia Records
and enjoyed great success during the 1960s folk revival. Liam was a close friend of Bob Dylan
when they both were going out with two sisters in New York
. He performed live for United States President
John F. Kennedy
. Liam Clancy was the last surviving member of the original Clancy Brothers; Tom Clancy died on November 7, 1990, Patrick Clancy died on November 11, 1998 and Tommy Makem died on August 1, 2007. Liam said of his status as last known survivor,
After The Clancy Brothers split, Liam had a solo career in Canada
. He made several television performances both in CBC's National television variety show, The Irish Rovers
Show from Vancouver
and in Calgary
, Alberta
. He had a hit with "The Dutchman" and presented his own television show in Calgary, also appearing on the CBC concert series Summer Evening in 1976. In 1975, he was booked to play a festival in Cleveland, Ohio
, USA
, where Tommy Makem was also playing. The two played a set together and formed Makem and Clancy, performing in numerous concerts and recording several albums as a duo, until 1988. The whole ensemble also got back together in the 1980s for a reunion tour. After the death of Tom Clancy in 1990, Liam came together with Paddy and Bobby Clancy and nephew Robbie O'Connell. He also performed alongside his Fayreweather Band and the Phil Coulter
Orchestra.
In later life, Liam maintained a solo career accompanied by musicians Paul Grant and Kevin Evans , whilst also engaging in other pursuits. He lived in County Waterford
at this stage. He had a recording studio in Ring, County Waterford
.
In 2001, Liam Clancy published a memoir entitled The Mountain of the Women. He also was in No Direction Home
, the 2005 Bob Dylan documentary directed by Martin Scorsese
.
In 2006, Clancy was profiled in a two-hour documentary titled The Legend of Liam Clancy produced by Anna Rodgers and John Murray with Crossing the Line Films, and screened on the Irish channel RTÉ. In February 2007, this documentary won the award for best series at the Irish Film and Television Awards
in Dublin. In 2008 Liam performed in a filmed concert titled Liam Clancy and Friends, Live at The Bitter End which featured the last filmed performance of his friend Odetta, as well as songs from Tom Paxton, Shane MacGowan, Gemma Hayes, Eric Bibb, and Fionn Regan as well as members of Danú.
The same director Alan Gilsenan
went on to direct a full length biography of Liam Clancy, The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy. This was released at the 2009 Dublin Film Festival and went on to have a theatrical and DVD release in Ireland the UK. The film includes appearances by Pete Seeger
, Jean Ritchie
, Bob Dylan
, Odetta
, and many others as well as much unseen archive such as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem at Newport Festival. The Irish Times
praised the film and director Gilsenan who it said had "tracked down an impressive number of secondary sources, and his use of other performers’ music is often inspired".
His final album The Wheels of Life was released in 2009: this included duets with Mary Black
and Gemma Hayes
as well as songs by Tom Paxton
and Donovan
.
Liam was an ardent proponent of political views and often outspoken on matters of social injustice right up until his death. He criticised both Gulf Wars and the grim, harsh economic climate which gripped Ireland during his last months alive. He told The Irish Times
in September 2009 that he was on his “last legs”. He had already given his final performance, at the National Concert Hall
the previous May, during which he recited the Dylan Thomas
poem "And death shall have no dominion
". He was unable to perform a full-length show on the final night of a two-night sold-out run but put in a 40-minute appearance nonetheless. His manager described it as “a very profound moment. He expressed his fear of dying, but he did it with great dignity”.
on 4 December 2009, in Bon Secours Hospital in Cork, Ireland. Bobby Clancy died of the same disease seven years previously and is buried in the new cemetery in Ring
, Co. Waterford, where he spent the last number of years of his life, owning a successful recording studio. Clancy was survived by his wife, Kim, and their four children, Eben, Siobhán, Fiona and Donal, as well three previous children Sean, Andrew and Anya. His son Eben was in the process of coming over from the United Kingdom and he had had a chat with his son Donal who was in the middle of a tour of California
. The other three sat beside him as he died. Liam had intended to give another interview at the time but succumbed to the disease before this was possible.
The leader of Fine Gael
, Enda Kenny
, mourned the loss of a "brilliant musician". Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Martin Cullen
said, "Liam Clancy was a nationally and internationally renowned folk singer and was an example of an absolutely dedicated artistic craftsman. This generous and life-giving person enriched all of our lives with memorable songs and was part of the fabric of Ireland’s proud traditional music culture". Alan Gilsenan described the death as the "end of an era".
The American city of Boston
was said to be in shock at the news as his influence there is "inescapable". Radio disc jockeys in New York
paid tribute to the man who, according to the New York Daily News, "played a major role in defining how Americans heard Irish popular music over the last half century", with one DJ saying The Clancy Brothers had "broke down a wall that was long overdue". Christy Moore
, on a prescheduled appearance on The Late Late Show
aired live on the night of Liam's death, said, "I would have been listening to Radio Luxembourg
and rock 'n' roll
as a young fellow and then I got to hear of the Clancy brothers, when I was 16 I came to Dublin to hear them in a concert. It was about 1962, I think it was the Olympia
, it was the most exciting concert I had ever attended. It was Irish, it was rock 'n' roll, it was funky and it was even sexy".
Clancy's lunchtime funeral at St Mary's Church in Dungarvan
on 7 December was attended by hundreds of mourners, including both the Aides de Camp of the Taoiseach
and President of Ireland
, Minister Cullen and various musicians and artists. He was later buried in Ring.
Columbia Records
Audio Fidelity Records
Vanguard Records
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Liam Mac Fhlannchadha) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and actor from Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. He was the youngest and last surviving member of performing group The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
. The group were regarded as Ireland's first pop stars. They recorded 55 albums, achieving global sales of millions and appearing at a sold-out Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Liam was regarded as the group's most powerful vocalist. Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
regarded him as the greatest ballad singer ever, whilst Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
described him as one of the “most famous four Irishmen in the world”. He was a central figure during the 1960s folk revival, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Shortly before his death in 2009 The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
said Clancy "does seem a little like a figure from the Pleistocene era": upon his death the newspaper said his legacy was secured.
Biography
As a child he was known as William or Willie. He displayed an artistic disposition at an early age, while growing up in Carrick-on-SuirCarrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. Born there he was in 1935 as one of eleven children of Robert Joseph Clancy and Joanna McGrath. The first song he learned was "The Croppy Boy
The Croppy Boy
"The Croppy Boy" is an Irish ballad set in 1798 rising and is one of the saddest ballads of the rebellion, relating the despair of a doomed young "croppy" or rebel.-Broadside versions:...
". He received a Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
education before taking a job as an insurance man in Dublin. Whilst there he also took night classes at the National College of Art and Design
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design is a national art and design school in Dublin, Ireland.-History:Situated on Thomas Street, the NCAD started as a private drawing school and has become a national institution educating over 1,500 day and evening students as artists, designers and art educators...
.
However, while still in his teens, Liam explored writing and painting, though he was particularly drawn to the theatre. In his early performing days, he began to call himself Liam rather than William or Willie. Before he was twenty years old, Liam had founded the local dramatic society now called "Brewery Lane Theatre and Arts Centre", and had produced, directed, set-directed, and starred in John Millington Synge
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre...
's The Playboy of the Western World
The Playboy of the Western World
The Playboy of the Western World is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on January 26, 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo during the early 1900s...
. Liam also performed at the renowned Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. He encountered Diane Hamilton Guggenheim
Diane Hamilton
Diane Hamilton was the pseudonym of Diane Guggenheim , an American mining heiress, folksong patron and founder of "Tradition Records".-Personal life:...
when she came to his hometown to visit his mother, and set off on a tour of Ireland alongside her. During her 1955 trip to Keady
Keady
Keady is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated south of Armagh city and very close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The town had a population of 2,960 people in the 2001 Census....
, Clancy encountered Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem
Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
for the first time. He would later pursue Guggenheim to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He referred to Greenwich Village as "the island for people escaped from repressed backgrounds".
Clancy began singing with his brothers at fund-raising events for the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
and the Guthrie benefits. The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem
Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
, began recording on Paddy Clancy's Tradition label in the late 1950s. Liam Clancy played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in addition to singing and also recorded several solo albums. They recorded their seminal The Rising of the Moon
The Rising of the Moon (album)
The Rising of the Moon: Irish Songs of Rebellion is a collection of traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was initially recorded in 1956. During the original recording, the only instrument used was Paddy's harmonica and there was little harmonization,...
album in 1959, giving live performances in the American cities of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A record-breaking sixteen minute long performance on American TV's The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
on 17 March 1961 launched the group into stardom. They were supposed to only play two songs but the main act cancelled at short notice. There were international tours, which included performances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
(a sell-out in 1962) and the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. Their trademark attire was Aran geansaí
Aran sweater
The Aran sweater is a style of jumper/sweater that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It is sometimes known as a fisherman sweater...
—these were sent across the water by Mrs Clancy for her boys to wear against the unforgiving American climate. The quartet recorded numerous albums for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and enjoyed great success during the 1960s folk revival. Liam was a close friend of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
when they both were going out with two sisters in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He performed live for United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. Liam Clancy was the last surviving member of the original Clancy Brothers; Tom Clancy died on November 7, 1990, Patrick Clancy died on November 11, 1998 and Tommy Makem died on August 1, 2007. Liam said of his status as last known survivor,
“There was always a pecking order, especially when you’re working with family. But they all died off, and I got to the top of the pecking order, with nobody looking over my shoulder. There’s a great sense of freedom about that”.
After The Clancy Brothers split, Liam had a solo career in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He made several television performances both in CBC's National television variety show, The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers is a Canadian Irish folk group created in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover". The group is best known for their international television series, and renditions of traditional Irish drinking songs, as well as early hits, Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn",...
Show from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. He had a hit with "The Dutchman" and presented his own television show in Calgary, also appearing on the CBC concert series Summer Evening in 1976. In 1975, he was booked to play a festival in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where Tommy Makem was also playing. The two played a set together and formed Makem and Clancy, performing in numerous concerts and recording several albums as a duo, until 1988. The whole ensemble also got back together in the 1980s for a reunion tour. After the death of Tom Clancy in 1990, Liam came together with Paddy and Bobby Clancy and nephew Robbie O'Connell. He also performed alongside his Fayreweather Band and the Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
Orchestra.
In later life, Liam maintained a solo career accompanied by musicians Paul Grant and Kevin Evans , whilst also engaging in other pursuits. He lived in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
at this stage. He had a recording studio in Ring, County Waterford
Ring, County Waterford
Ring is a Gaeltacht region on a peninsula in the western half of County Waterford, Ireland, approximately seven miles south of Dungarvan town.Ring has many town lands but the main village is situated in Baile na nGall...
.
In 2001, Liam Clancy published a memoir entitled The Mountain of the Women. He also was in No Direction Home
No Direction Home
No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture. The film does not cover Dylan's entire career; it concentrates on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his...
, the 2005 Bob Dylan documentary directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
.
In 2006, Clancy was profiled in a two-hour documentary titled The Legend of Liam Clancy produced by Anna Rodgers and John Murray with Crossing the Line Films, and screened on the Irish channel RTÉ. In February 2007, this documentary won the award for best series at the Irish Film and Television Awards
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
in Dublin. In 2008 Liam performed in a filmed concert titled Liam Clancy and Friends, Live at The Bitter End which featured the last filmed performance of his friend Odetta, as well as songs from Tom Paxton, Shane MacGowan, Gemma Hayes, Eric Bibb, and Fionn Regan as well as members of Danú.
The same director Alan Gilsenan
Alan Gilsenan
Alan Gilsenan, Irish writer, director and film-maker.A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin - he won First Class Honours in Modern English and Sociology - Gilsenan received the inaugural A.J. Leventhal Scholarship...
went on to direct a full length biography of Liam Clancy, The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy. This was released at the 2009 Dublin Film Festival and went on to have a theatrical and DVD release in Ireland the UK. The film includes appearances by Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Jean Ritchie
Jean Ritchie
Jean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Odetta
Odetta
Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...
, and many others as well as much unseen archive such as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem at Newport Festival. The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
praised the film and director Gilsenan who it said had "tracked down an impressive number of secondary sources, and his use of other performers’ music is often inspired".
His final album The Wheels of Life was released in 2009: this included duets with Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
and Gemma Hayes
Gemma Hayes
Gemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
as well as songs by Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
and Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
.
Liam was an ardent proponent of political views and often outspoken on matters of social injustice right up until his death. He criticised both Gulf Wars and the grim, harsh economic climate which gripped Ireland during his last months alive. He told The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
in September 2009 that he was on his “last legs”. He had already given his final performance, at the National Concert Hall
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland, close to St. Stephen's Green, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland....
the previous May, during which he recited the Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
poem "And death shall have no dominion
And death shall have no dominion
And death shall have no dominion is a poem written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas .-Publication history:On 10 September 1936, two years after the release of his first volume of poetry, Twenty-five Poems was published. Twenty-five Poems revealed Thomas’ personal philosophies pertaining to religion and...
". He was unable to perform a full-length show on the final night of a two-night sold-out run but put in a 40-minute appearance nonetheless. His manager described it as “a very profound moment. He expressed his fear of dying, but he did it with great dignity”.
Death
Liam Clancy died from pulmonary fibrosisPulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis is the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue in the lungs. It is also described as "scarring of the lung".-Symptoms:Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are mainly:...
on 4 December 2009, in Bon Secours Hospital in Cork, Ireland. Bobby Clancy died of the same disease seven years previously and is buried in the new cemetery in Ring
Ring, County Waterford
Ring is a Gaeltacht region on a peninsula in the western half of County Waterford, Ireland, approximately seven miles south of Dungarvan town.Ring has many town lands but the main village is situated in Baile na nGall...
, Co. Waterford, where he spent the last number of years of his life, owning a successful recording studio. Clancy was survived by his wife, Kim, and their four children, Eben, Siobhán, Fiona and Donal, as well three previous children Sean, Andrew and Anya. His son Eben was in the process of coming over from the United Kingdom and he had had a chat with his son Donal who was in the middle of a tour of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The other three sat beside him as he died. Liam had intended to give another interview at the time but succumbed to the disease before this was possible.
The leader of Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
, Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, mourned the loss of a "brilliant musician". Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...
Martin Cullen
Martin Cullen
Martin Cullen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Waterford constituency. Cullen was a member of Seanad Éireann and served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government , Minister for Transport and Minister for Social and Family Affairs and...
said, "Liam Clancy was a nationally and internationally renowned folk singer and was an example of an absolutely dedicated artistic craftsman. This generous and life-giving person enriched all of our lives with memorable songs and was part of the fabric of Ireland’s proud traditional music culture". Alan Gilsenan described the death as the "end of an era".
The American city of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
was said to be in shock at the news as his influence there is "inescapable". Radio disc jockeys in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
paid tribute to the man who, according to the New York Daily News, "played a major role in defining how Americans heard Irish popular music over the last half century", with one DJ saying The Clancy Brothers had "broke down a wall that was long overdue". Christy Moore
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
, on a prescheduled appearance on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
aired live on the night of Liam's death, said, "I would have been listening to Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
and rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
as a young fellow and then I got to hear of the Clancy brothers, when I was 16 I came to Dublin to hear them in a concert. It was about 1962, I think it was the Olympia
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
, it was the most exciting concert I had ever attended. It was Irish, it was rock 'n' roll, it was funky and it was even sexy".
Clancy's lunchtime funeral at St Mary's Church in Dungarvan
Dungarvan
Dungarvan is a town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford. The town's Irish name means "Garbhan's fort", referring to Saint Garbhan who founded a church there in the seventh century...
on 7 December was attended by hundreds of mourners, including both the Aides de Camp of the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
and President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Minister Cullen and various musicians and artists. He was later buried in Ring.
Solo recordings
- 1965 – Liam Clancy – Vanguard LP/CD
- re-released with bonus tracks as 'Irish Troubadour' on Vanguard CD
- 1974 – Farewell to Tarwaithie – Plainsong LP
- on Shanachie CD as "The Dutchman"
- 2007 - Yes Those Were The Days: The Essential Liam Clancy Dolphin Records
- 2008 - “The Wheels of Life”, Dolphin Records
- Kerrygold Cheddar Cheese – special edition 45rpm – unknown year
Guest recordings
- 1955 – The Lark in the Morning – Tradition LP/Rykodisc CD
- 1956 – The Countess Cathleen – Tradition LP
- 1989 – Phil Coulter: Words and Music – Shanachie CD
- 1992 – Phil Coulter: A Touch of Tranquility – Shanachie CD
- 1994 – Joanie MaddenJoanie MaddenJoanie Madden is an Irish-American flute and whistle player of Irish Traditional Music. She is best known as leader of the all-female group Cherish the Ladies, but has also recorded and performed with numerous other musicians, and as a solo artist. She also teaches master classes and...
: Whistle on the Wind – Green Linnet CD - 1999 – Cherish the Ladies: At Home – RCA CD
- 2000 – The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone – Windham Hill CD
- 2002 – Danú: All Things Considered – Shanachie CD
Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
Tradition Records- The Lark in the Morning – Tradition LP/Rykodisc CD – (1955)
- The Rising of the MoonThe Rising of the Moon (album)The Rising of the Moon: Irish Songs of Rebellion is a collection of traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was initially recorded in 1956. During the original recording, the only instrument used was Paddy's harmonica and there was little harmonization,...
(or Irish Songs of Rebellion) (1956, 1959 second version) - Come Fill Your Glass with UsCome Fill Your Glass with UsCome Fill Your Glass with Us - Irish Songs of Drinking & Blackguarding is a collection of traditional Irish drinking songs performed by The Clancy Brothers with often time collaborator Tommy Makem...
(or Irish Songs of Drinking and Blackguarding) (1959) - The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem (self-titled) – (1961)
Columbia Records
- A Spontaneous Performance Recording (1961)
- Hearty and Hellish! A Live Nightclub Performance (1962)
- The Boys Won't Leave the Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone is a collection of mostly traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was their third album for Columbia Records and was released in 1962. It was also their first studio album for Columbia. Its title is taken from the song,...
(1962) – 2 stereo issues (one includes alternate mixes) - the last two albums were issued on now out of print Shanachie CDs
- In Person at Carnegie Hall (1963) – also on Columbia CD
- The First Hurrah!The First Hurrah!The First Hurrah! is a collection of traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was their fifth album for Columbia Records and was released in 1964. The album's title is likely a play on Edwin O'Connor's 1956 novel "The Last Hurrah"...
(1964) - Recorded LIVE in Ireland (1965)
- Isn't It Grand, Boys (1966)
- Freedom's Sons (1966)
- In Concert (1967) – also on Columbia CD
- The Irish Uprising (1967)
- Home, Boys, Home (1968)
- Sing of the Sea (1968)
- The Bold Fenian Men (1969)
- Reunion (1984) – Released on Blackbird LP/Shanachie CD
- Luck Of The Irish – Columbia/Sony compilation. Contains 1 new song (Wars Of Germany) and 3 new performances of previously released songs: (Home Boys Home, The Old Orange Flute and They're Moving Father's Grave To Build A Sewer) (1992)
- Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1992)
- Irish Drinking Songs (1993) – contains unreleased material from the Carnegie Hall album
- Ain't it Grand: A Collection of Unissued Gems (1995) – unreleased material from the 1960s era
The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Tom, Pat, Bobby)
- Christmas – Columbia LP/CD (1969)
- Flowers in the Valley – Columbia LP (1970)
Audio Fidelity Records
- Welcome to Our House (1970)
Lou Killen, Paddy, Liam, Tom Clancy
Audio Fidelity Records- Show Me The Way (1972)
- Save the Land! (1972)
- Live on St. Patrick's Day (1973)
Vanguard Records
- Clancy Brothers Greatest Hits (1973) – Vanguard LP/CD
- This was reissued as 'Best of the Vanguard Years' with bonus material from the 1982 Live! album with Bobby Clancy and Robbie O'Connell.
Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem
Blackbird and Shanachie Records- Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy (1976)
- The Makem & Clancy Concert (1977)
- Two for the Early Dew (1978)
- The Makem and Clancy Collection (1980) – contains previously released material and singles
- Live At The National Concert Hall (1983)
- We've Come A Long Way (1986)
Bob Dylan
- The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Pat, Liam & Bobby Clancy sing "When The Ship Comes In" with Tommy Makem and Robbie O'Connell)
The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Pat, Bobby) and Robbie O'Connell
- Older But No Wiser – Vanguard (1995)
Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy
Helvic Records- Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy – (1997)
- The Wild And Wasteful Ocean – (1998)
Filmography
- 1984 – The Story of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem – Shanchie
- 1984 – Reunion Concert: Belfast – Shanachie
- circa 1985 – Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (1965) – Central Sun / Shanachie (reissue)
- 1997 – Farewell to Ireland – Pinnacle Vision
- 2007 – Yes...Those Were the Days: Liam Clancy – Live at the Olympia, Dublin – unknown distributor
- originally released in 1992 as "In Close Up: Volumes 1 and 2"
- 2007 – The Best of 'Hootenanny – Shout!
- 2009 – The Yellow Bittern: The life and times of Liam Clancyhttp://www.liamclancymovie.com/
External links
- Official site
- Liam Clancy on Tubridy TonightTubridy TonightTubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
(22 March 2008) - Obituary at The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
- Obituary in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Obituary
- Sineád Crowley, RTÉ Arts & Media Correspondent, looks back at the life and career of folk legend Liam Clancy (Video)
- Troubadour who didn't do justice to his talent- Saturday, December 12, 2009, The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
- Clancy Brother's Festival
- The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
- The Yellow Bittern - The life and times of Liam Clancy (Documentary)