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…biographical

TOM CLANCY, often as not, leads off the rousing good spirits of the quartet, onstage and off! Curly-haired, broad of chest, an ex-boxer with the map of Erin on his face, Tom's preoccupation is making merry. Still, he shines best in two-fisted, blood-and-thunder rebel songs and manages, somehow to personally embody the indomitable militance of Ireland.

Whenever he performs "The Rising of the Moon" he conjures up stark visions of bursting shells, battle cries and pike wielding patriots. Like brother Pat, Tom was an officer in the R.A.F., and hardly a covert member of the I.R.A. His career, like Tommy Makem, began as a band singer in Ireland, but this proved less soul-satisfying than the legitimate theatre.

Tom performed in an English Shakespearean repertory company and appeared in plays of all the modern Irish playwrights. His theatrical career was equally promising after his arrival in the States in numerous summer stock. off-Broadway, and ultimately, Broadway productions. Tom has appeared with Orson Welles in "King Lear," Siobhan McKenna in "St. Joan." Helen Hayes in "A Touch of the Poet"—over 150 roles all told—as well as every major dramatic television program. For his portrayal of Dylan Thomas in CBS-TV's "Camera Three," Tom received critics' unqualified praise.

Although he takes time out on occasion to make starring dramatic appearances on major television shows, Tom finds his commitment to the group one of total involvement…totally satisfying. This past summer Tom staged and directed the "Newport Folk Festival" and again won unqualified praise from the critics.

Source: Concert Program - circa 1966

Tom Clancy, a founder of the Clancy Brothers folk group and an actor, died yesterday at Mercy Hospital in Cork, Ireland. He was 67 years old.

He died of stomach cancer, his brother Liam said.

Wearing white Aran sweaters and singing rowdy Irish traditional songs for an audience that loved to sing along, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were a major part of the folk revival of the early 1960's. "What we were doing was very simple," Liam Clancy said yesterday in a telephone interview. "We were singing the old folk songs in a lusty, simple way, and it looked so easy and caught on in such a big way that groups of young fellows all over the world decided to do the same thing -- thousands of groups."

Tom Clancy was born in Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, Ireland. He left school to become a baker when he was 14 and joined the Royal Air Force when he was 17. He flew missions over Germany in World War II. After the war, he joined the Shakespeariana Internationale theater company in Ireland for a short time. In the early 1950's, Tom Clancy and his brother Paddy moved to Toronto and then Cleveland, where they joined the Cleveland Playhouse. From there they moved to New York City, where they were active in Off Broadway theater. Tom Clancy acted on Broadway in the 1958 production of Eugene O'Neill's "Touch of the Poet," with Helen Hayes. 6 Months, 30 Years

Tom Clancy appeared in "King Lear" with Orson Welles and "St. Joan" with Siobhan McKenna. In the mid-1950's, the brothers rented the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village, and to raise rent money for it they started a series of folk-music concerts. Liam Clancy arrived in 1956, along with Mr. Makem, a friend, and the group recorded folk songs for Tradition Records, a label Paddy Clancy had started.

"We had no intention at that stage of pursuing a singing career," Liam Clancy said, "but the singing became more and more part of our lives." In the late 1950's, Mr. Makem said yesterday, the group decided to try singing for six months before its members returned to "our proper work in the theater."

"But the six months turned into 30 years," he said.

The group was trying to decide on a name -- it considered the Druids, the Bards, the Chieftains and the Moonshiners, among others -- when it arrived for an engagement at the Gate of Horn club in Chicago. On the marquee was "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem."

The group's career took off in the early 1960's. After a stint at the Blue Angel nightclub, the group was booked on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS. At the last minute a headliner became ill, and the Clancy Brothers' 3-minute spot stretched to 18 minutes. Suddenly, Liam Clancy said, "We found ourselves famous." National and international tours followed, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London. Group to Continue

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were signed to Columbia Records by John Hammond, and they recorded for the label for a decade. They also recorded for Vanguard Records and have made about 50 albums. Although Mr. Makem left the group in 1969 and Liam Clancy left in 1975, the Clancy Brothers (Tom, Paddy and Bobby Clancy and a nephew, Robbie O'Connell) have since toured regularly. Liam Clancy, who rejoined the group last spring when Tom Clancy become ill, said the Clancy Brothers would continue to perform.

In the 1970's and 80's, Tom Clancy also returned to acting. He appeared in television series -- among them "The Incredible Hulk," "Charlie's Angels" and "Little House on the Prairie."

In addition to his brothers, he is survived by his wife, Blawnin; two daughters, Raylin and Cait; and four sisters, Lili, Joan, Peg and Leish.

Source: Jon Pareles, New York Times

Non group discogaphy

Countess Cathleen
1956 - Tradition TLP 501 LP

…a reading of the W.B. Yeats play with Tom Clancy as First Merchant and Liam Clancy as Teigue Rua. In addition, it was produced and directed by Tom Clancy & edited by Patrick Clancy.

Raise Your Weary Hearts: 1980 - GRANSHA RECORDS LP
Seamus Kennedy - w/Tom Clancy (album notes)

Tom Clancy wrote the album notes; the closet he came (to my knowledge) to making a musical guest appearance without his brothers.

In addition, Tom had a fairly prolific Theatre, Film and Television career. I will add more information and photos as they become available. In the meatime, visit Tom Clancy at The Internet Movie Database.

Tom's wife, Joan, runs the Joan Clancy Art Gallery in Co. Waterford, Ireland.