Biography

In the early 1960s, they brought authentic Irish traditional music to audiences around the world. They paved the way for most of the great Irish bands that followed, including the Furey Brothers, The Dubliners, The Chieftains, The Pogues, and even U2. The group consisted of Paddy, Tom, and Liam Clancy, and their friend Tommy Makem.

On stage, the Clancys and Tommy Makem wore Irish Aran sweaters, knitted by a woman named Betty Duggan in their hometown of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.

Liam Clancy emigrated to America in the 1950s to join his brothers Tom and Paddy, who were pursuing acting careers in New York's theater scene. Along with Armagh-born Tommy Makem, they began putting on concerts in Greenwich Village, initially to raise rent money for a small theater.

They became international stars following an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This performance led to international tours, including appearances at New York's Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London.