Legendary Folk Singer Liam Clancy, TheLast Surviving Clancy Brother, Has died at age 74.
The actor, singer and musician was the last surviving member of The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, who were credited with bringing Irish traditional music to a world audience in the 1960s.
He died in hospital this afternoon, surrounded by his wife Kim and two of his children, daughters Siobhan and Fiona.
Mr Clancy had been ill for some time and was admitted to Bon Secours Hospital in Cork in recent weeks.
A look back at the life of Liam Clancy
Born in Carrick on Suir, Liam Clancy was the youngest of 11 children.
As a young man he dreamed of life on the stage, but there was music in his blood too.
In his late teens he met and travelled Ireland with US song collector Diane Hamilton Guggenheim and eventually travelled to the US with her.
Liam Clancy emigrated to America in the 1950s to join his brothers Tom and Paddy who were forging out an acting career in New York's theatre scene.
Along with Armagh-born Tommy Makem, the four began putting on concerts in the bohemian hothouse of Greenwich Village - initially to raise rent money for a small theatre.
'We had no intention at that stage of pursuing a singing career,' Clancy said later, 'but the singing became more and more part of our lives'.
With their trademark Aran jumpers - sent by Mrs Clancy to protect against the hard US winters - The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem began to play legendary venues such as the White Horse Tavern.
They became international stars following a performance on the Ed Sullivan television show. This performance led to international tours, including appearances at New York's Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The band played a key role in the 60s folk revival - reworking traditional ballads for both an international and an Irish audience.
Other emerging artists in the folk scene were drawn to the rowdy, rebellious, good-humoured and emotional performances of songs they had learned back in Ireland.
When the Clancy Brothers later went their separate ways, Liam pursued a solo career in Canada before reuniting with Tommy Makem to form the hugely popular duo Makem and Clancy.
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem did play together again in the 1980s, and in later years Liam - by now living in Co Waterford - maintained a successful solo career.
Irish filmmaker Alan Gilsenan who recently produced The Yellow Bittern, a biopic on the folk singer, said the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were Ireland's first pop stars.
'Liam Clancy and his brothers and Tommy reclaimed a huge number of folk songs for Ireland and reinterpreted them in terms of their experience in America which is where they made their name, outselling the Beatles at one point,' he said.
The man that Bob Dylan called 'the best ballad singer I've ever heard' died in hospital in Cork early this afternoon.
He is survived by his wife Kim and four children.
Just before landing a spot on Ed Sullivan, by chance the Clancys' mother sent four white Irish-knit Aran sweaters (knitted by her sister Peggy Quan) so that they wouldn't catch their cold in the winters of North America. Their manager Marty Erlichman desperately seeking a way to "package" his clients found exactly what he was looking for when he saw the three brothers and Tommy Makem wearing the sweaters. The sweaters became the Clancy brothers' and Tommy Makem's trademark. When back in their hometown the band purchased their Aran jumpers from Burkes on the main street. Burkes shop had a local woman by the name of Betty Duggan knit the jumpers and supply the shop on regular occassions.
On March 12, 1961, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed for 14 groundbreaking minutes in front of a televised audience of 80 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show. The televised performance instantly attracted the attention of John Hammond of Columbia Records. The guys were offered a five year contract with an advance of $100,000, a huge sum in 1961. For their first album with Columbia, the now nationwide stars in the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem enlisted Pete Seeger as backup banjo player for the live album A Spontaneous Performance Recording It included songs that would soon become classics, such as "Brennan on the Moor," "Jug of Punch," "Reilly's Daughter," "Finnegan's Wake," "Haul Away Joe," "Roddy McCorley," "Portlairge" and "Moonshiner." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961.
By the end of 1961, they had released two more albums, one final one with Tradition Records, and another with Columbia, Hearty and Hellish: A Live Nightclub Performance, and they were playing Carnegie Hall. Additionally, they were making appearances on every major radio and television talkshow in America.
The ballad takes the tune of another Irish ballad, "The Wearing of the Green" and was first published in Casey's 1866 collection of poems and songs "A Wreath of Shamrocks". The lyrics refer to the outbreak of the 1798 rebellion in county Kildare as United Irish rebels convey the order to rise. The air of hope and optimism associated with the ultimately doomed rebellion was intended to provide inspiration for rebels "Who would follow in their footsteps" preparing to take to the field in another doomed venture, the Fenian rebellion of 1867.
Often sung by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem among others, the song remains popular and the tune widely recognized in Ireland today as it is often taught in schools, played regularly at official and sporting events and has been covered by a wide variety of musicians. The song is also referenced in the final line of the final entry of Bobby Sands hunger strike diary.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clancy_Brothers
The Lyrics
The Rising Of The Moon
And come, tell me Sean O'Farrell, tell me why you hurry so?
"Hush a bhuachaill[1], hush and listen", and his cheeks were all aglow,
"I bear orders from the captain:- get you ready quick and soon
For the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon"
By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon,
For the pikes must be together at the rising of the moon
"And come tell me Sean O'Farrell where the gath'rin is to be?"
"In the old spot by the river, quite well known to you and me.
One more word for signal token:- whistle out the marchin' tune,
With your pike upon your shoulder, at the rising of the moon."
At the rising of the moon, at the rising of the moon
With your pike upon your shoulder, at the rising of the moon.
Out from many a mud wall cabin eyes were watching through the night,
Many a manly heart was beatin, for the blessed morning light.
Murmurs ran along the valleys to the banshee's lonely croon
And a thousand pikes were flashing by the rising of the moon.
By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon.
And a thousand pikes were flashing by the rising of the moon.
At the rising of the moon...
All along that singing river that black mass of men was seen,
High above their shining weapons flew their own beloved green.
"Death to every foe and traitor! Whistle out the marching tune."
And hurrah my boys for freedom; 'tis the rising of the moon".
Tis the rising of the moon, tis the rising of the moon
And hurrah my boys for freedom; 'Tis the rising of the moon".
Well they fought for poor old Ireland, and full bitter was their fate,
Oh what glorious pride and sorrow, fills the name of ninety-eight!
Yet, thank God, e'en still are beating hearts in manhood burning noon,
Who would follow in their footsteps, at the risin' of the moon
By the rising of the moon, By the rising of the moon
Who would follow in their footsteps, at the risin' of the moon.
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
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