The Clancy Brothers

The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in the 1960s (left-to-right: Tommy Makem, Paddy Clancy, Tom Clancy and Liam Clancy)
Background information
Also known as	The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, The Clancy Brothers and Louis Killen, The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell, The Clancy Brothers and Eddie Dillon
Origin	County Tipperary and County Armagh, Ireland
Genres	Traditional Irish, Folk, Celtic
Years active	1956–1998
Labels	Tradition Records, Columbia Records, Audio Fidelity Records, Vanguard Records, Blackbird Records, Shanachie Records, Helvic Records
Associated acts	Makem and Clancy, The Clancys and Eddie Dillon, The Fureys, Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy, Cherish the Ladies, The High Kings, Danú, The Makem Brothers, Barley Bree, The Clancy Legacy
Past members	Liam Clancy Paddy Clancy Tom Clancy Tommy Makem Bobby Clancy Louis Killen Robbie O'Connell Finbarr Clancy Eddie Dillon

The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk group, which initially developed as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their trademark Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularising Irish traditional music in the United States and revitalising it in Ireland, paving the way for an Irish folk boom with groups like the Dubliners and the Wolfe Tones.

The Clancy Brothers, Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, and Liam Clancy, are best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording almost two dozen albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Makem left in 1969, the first of many changes in the group's membership. The most notable subsequent member to join was the fourth Clancy brother, Bobby. The group continued in various formations until Paddy Clancy's death in 1998.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem significantly influenced the young Bob Dylan and other emerging artists, including Christy Moore and Paul Brady. The group was famous for its often lively arrangements of old Irish ballads, rebel and drinking songs, sea shanties, and other traditional music.

The oldest member of the group, Paddy Clancy, was born on 7 March 1922 in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. Tom followed on 29 October 1924, Bobby on 14 May 1927, and youngest brother Liam Clancy on 2 September 1935. Tommy Makem was born 4 November 1932 in Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.