Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, the

Irish ballad group. Their influence has been central to the folk and Irish music revivals of the late 20th century. The original group, formed in New York City in the 1950s, consisted of the brothers Pat (1923–1998), Tom (1923–1990), and Liam Clancy (1936– ), and Tommy Makem (1932–2007).

Their style of performance was grounded in straightforward unison singing with guitar and tin whistle accompaniment. An important part of their appeal was their relaxed, informal style and slightly irreverent approach to the platitudes of the day. Their songs, for example ‘The Leaving of Liverpool’ and ‘The Jug of Punch’, were a break from the Irish-American standards that preceded them, but have since become the core of the traditional ballad repertoire.

After a spell in the Royal Air Force during World War II, Pat and Tom emigrated to New York in 1950 and worked as actors, most notably in Seán O'Casey's play The Plough and the Stars. Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, acquainted after working on a song collection, also emigrated to the USA in 1955. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were first billed as such in 1956 when they performed at fund-raising concerts for the Cherry Lane Theatre and at the Guthrie benefits concerts. They first recorded in 1959, producing their album By The Rising of the Moon on Pat's own label, Tradition Records, formed in 1956. They appeared on the Ed Sullivan television show in 1961, which led to widespread acclaim all over the USA. Shortly afterwards they signed a major recording deal with Columbia Records. The band continued to perform through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s with several changes in personnel, although the original members did occasionally regroup for special performances.