Formed while the members were working in America, the initial impetus was to record an album of Irish rebel songs (released as "The Rising of the Moon") as one of the first releases in 1956 of new folk label, Tradition Records. Paddy Clancy's harmonica provided the only musical accompaniment for this debut album.
Little thought was given at that point to continuing as a singing group. The four were all were busy establishing careers (in the theatre) for themselves, in addition to their work at Tradition Records. With the album being a local success, requests were often demanded for the brothers and Makem to sing some of their songs at parties and informal pub settings. Slowly, the singing gigs began to outweigh the acting gigs and by 1959, serious thought was given to a new album. Liam had developed some guitar skills, Tommy's hand, which hasd been injured, had healed enough that he was again able to play tin whistle and Uilleann pipes, and the times spent singing together had improved their style. No longer were they the rough, mostly unaccompanied group of actors singing for an album to jump-start a record label; they were becoming a professional singing group.
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group. Most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy and Liam Clancy. Paddy, Tom, Bob, and Liam are best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording dozens of albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They were a primary influence on a young Bob Dylan and on many other emerging artists.
The release of their second album, this one of Irish drinking songs called "Come Fill Your Glass with Us", solidified their new careers as singers. The album was a success, and they made many appearances on the pub circuit in New York, Chicago, and Boston. It was at their first official gig after "Come Fill Your Glass With Us" that the group finally found a name for themselves. The nightclub owner asked for a name to put on the marquee, but they had not decided on one yet. Unable to agree on a name (which included suggestions like "The Beggermen", "The Tinkers", and even "The Chieftains") the owner decided for them, simply billing them as "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem". The name stuck. They decided to try singing full-time for six months. If their singing was successful, they would continue with it; if not, then they would return to acting. The Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem proved successful as a singing group and in early 1961, they attracted the attention of scouts from The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Clancy Brothers' mother read news of the terrible ice and snow storms in New York City so she sent Aran sweaters for her sons and Tommy Makem to keep them warm. Paddy and Liam Clancy stated they wore the sweaters for the first time in the Blue Angel club. When Marty Erlichman, their manager, saw the sweaters, he was beside himself! "That's it!" he exclaimed. I've been looking for a special costume for the group. It was also the night that Barbra Streisand sang in the Blue Angel for the first time. The sweaters became the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's trademark. When back in their hometown, the band purchased their Aran jumpers from Babington, on the main street. Babington had a local woman by the name of Betty McGillivray née Duggan knit the jumpers and supply the shop on regular occasions.
On 12 March 1961, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed for 16 minutes in front of a televised audience of 80 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show. As Pearl Bailey did not show that night, the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were given her time. The televised performance instantly attracted the attention of John Hammond of Columbia Records. The group was offered a five-year contract with an advance of $100,000, a huge sum in 1961. For their first album with Columbia, they 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 major radio and television talk-shows in America.
1962 proved to be an even better year. Ciarán MacMathuna, a popular radio personality in Ireland, was visiting America when he heard of the group. He collected the few albums they had out at the time, brought them back home to Ireland and played them on his radio show. The broadcasts skyrocketed the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to fame in Ireland, where they were still unknown. In Ireland, songs like "Roddy McCorley," "Kevin Barry" and "Brennan on the Moor" were slow, depressing songs full of melancholy, but the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem had transformed those songs (the disgruntled purists in Ireland said "commercialized") and made them lively. For generations the songs had been a reminder of the troubles in Ireland and therefore they weren't anything anybody sang proudly. The Clancy Brothers changed all that, and the transformed songs reinvigorated Ireland's pride in her music. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were brought over for a sold-out tour of Ireland in late 1962. Popularity in England and other parts of Europe soon followed, as well as Australia and Canada. By 1963, appearing on major talk-shows in America, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland, as well as their own TV specials, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were "the most famous four Irishmen in the world" as said by Ireland's Late Late Show host, Gay Byrne, in a retrospective interview in 1984. In 1964, one third of all the albums sold in Ireland were Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem records.
The 1960s continued to be a successful decade with the release of approximately two albums per year, all of which sold millions of copies. They continued to peak with television appearances in front of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Their popularity is the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit (not that they took this approach with all their songs; they would still sing the true mournful ballads with due reverence).
But by the late 1960s, rock music had taken full swing, and the ballad and folk boom was waning. To keep the band at the top, Teo Macero began producing their records for Columbia. Macero introduced new instrumentation to their music, including Louis Killen coming in to play concertina on backup, particularly on their 1968 album of sea songs, Sing of the Sea. But their last three albums for Columbia Record in 1969 and 1970 are considered by many to be overproduced, with a multitude of string instruments and synthesizers added to the simpler traditional Clancy mix of guitar, banjo, tin whistle and harmonica.
In 1969, the group recorded a song for a two-minute-long TV ad for Gulf Oil: "Bringin' Home the Oil". They adapted a traditional Scottish tune they had recorded, "The Gallant Forty Twa," with new words about large-capacity supertankers. The song and commercial featured the then-largest supertanker in the world, the Universe Ireland, which operated with sister ships Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal, all mentioned in the song and which operated from the seaport at Bantry Bay.
1969 marked the amicable departure of Tommy Makem from the group. Giving them a year's notice, Makem left in April 1969 to pursue a solo career armed with such recent compositions as "Four Green Fields", debuted on 1968's Clancy Brothers album, Home Boys Home.
The "other brother", Bobby Clancy, filled Tommy Makem's vacancy and the band became The Clancy Brothers.
Irish Rover
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We set sail from the Coal Quay of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand City Hall in New York
We'd an elegant craft, it was rigged 'fore and aft
And how the trade winds drove her
She had twenty-three masts and she stood several blasts
And they called her the Irish Rover
There was Barney Magee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper on the Irish Rover
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrells of bone
We had three million bales of old nanny goats' tails
We had four million barrells of stone
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
And seven million barrells of porter
We had eight million sides of old blind horses' hides
In the hold of the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
And our ship lost her way in a fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
'Twas myself and the captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock, oh, Lord what a shock
And nearly tumbled over
Turned nine times around then the poor old dog was drowned
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
The Clancy Brothers’s song “The Irish Rover” is a tale of a grand ship that sailed from Cork to New York with a group of colorful characters on board. The opening line sets the scene in 1806 when the ship sets sail from the Coal Quay of Cork carrying cargo of bricks for the City Hall in New York. The ship was described as an elegant craft, rigged ‘fore and aft, with twenty-three masts that stood the test of harsh weather conditions, earning her the name ‘The Irish Rover’. The song’s opening verse creates a sense of adventure, excitement and pride.
The second verse introduces the characters on board the ship in a comical tone. Barney Magee from the banks of Lee, Hogan from County Tyrone, Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work, and Malone from Westmeath were among the crew members. There was Slugger O'Toole, who was drunk as a rule, and fighting Bill Tracy from Dover. The captain of the Irish Rover was named Mick McCann, hailing from the banks of the Bann. The crew members, their names and their origins, are mentioned in this verse, and each one is depicted with humor and flair.
The final verse speaks of the fate of the Irish Rover. After sailing for seven years, the measles broke out, and the ship lost her way in a fog, leaving only two survivors - the captain’s old dog and the singer. The ship struck a rock, and the dog was drowned, leaving the singer as the last of the Irish Rover. The story ends on a poignant note, highlighting the dangers of the sea and the preciousness of life.
Line by Line Meaning
In the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and six,
The story that I'm about to tell happened in the year 1806.
We set sail from the Coal Quay of Cork
We started our voyage from the Coal Quay in Cork.
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
We were taking a shipment of bricks with us.
For the grand City Hall in New York
The bricks were meant for the fancy City Hall building in New York.
We'd an elegant craft, it was rigged 'fore and aft
Our ship was very nice and had sails on both the front and back.
And how the trade winds drove her
The winds helped us move along quickly.
She had twenty-three masts and she stood several blasts
Our ship was huge, with 23 masts and could stand up to strong winds.
And they called her the Irish Rover
Our ship was known as the Irish Rover.
There was Barney Magee from the banks of the Lee
On board, there was a man named Barney Magee who came from a place near the Lee River.
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Another person on board was Hogan, who was from County Tyrone.
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
Johnny McGurk, who was also on the ship, was very lazy and didn't want to work.
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone
A man from Westmeath by the name of Malone was also with us.
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
Slugger O'Toole always seemed to be drunk.
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
Bill Tracy, from Dover, was always ready to fight.
And your man Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
Finally, Mick McCann, who came from the banks of the Bann, was the captain of the ship.
Was the skipper on the Irish Rover
Mick McCann was the captain, or skipper, of the Irish Rover.
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
On board, we had one million bags of the finest Sligo rags.
We had two million barrells of bone
We also had two million barrels of bone.
We had three million bales of old nanny goats' tails
Additionally, we had three million bales of old nanny goats' tails.
We had four million barrells of stone
Four million barrels of stone were also in our cargo.
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
We were also transporting five million hogs and six million dogs.
And seven million barrells of porter
Seven million barrels of porter were also on board.
We had eight million sides of old blind horses' hides
Finally, we had eight million sides of old blind horses' hides with us.
In the hold of the Irish Rover
All of these things were stored in the hold of the ship.
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
After seven years at sea, a contagious disease called measles started to infect people on the ship.
And our ship lost her way in a fog
Our ship's direction was lost due to heavy fog.
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
Everyone on the ship got sick and died, except for me and the captain's dog.
'Twas myself and the captain's old dog
I was alone with the captain's dog.
Then the ship struck a rock, oh, Lord what a shock
The ship hit a rock, which was very surprising and alarming.
And nearly tumbled over
The ship was close to capsizing.
Turned nine times around then the poor old dog was drowned
The ship spun around nine times and the captain's dog drowned.
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
I'm the only one left alive from the crew of the Irish Rover.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TRADITIONAL, J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarkRobertCuthbert
There was Bobby McGee from the banks of the Leith.
There was Hogan from county Tyrone.
There was John D. McGirk, who was scared stiff of work,
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone.
There was Slugger O'Toole, who was drunk as a rule,
And Fighting Bill Tracy from Dover,
And a man, Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover.
@user-xl6rk9du1s
I somehow came across this song, it's amazing. It's so interesting to learn about different cultures through music while high. Have a nice day and good mood everyone.
Alan from North Ossetia.
@kylemccourt663
I own a Groverbuilt boat. She is a small downeaster style craft made in small numbers by a local legend. The builder is quite the legend locally as he went down in the Guinness Book for piloting the smallest craft (26 feet) ever across the Atlantic. So when I finally became old enough to purchase one of these legendary vessels, I felt it only fitting to name her "The Irish Grover".
@49312317
Timeless excellence
@l.salisbury1253
Best ever Irish musical unit: STIFF LITTLE FINGERS!!
@NumberNile
That's a damn shame... I remember spending nights at my grandparents' house and falling asleep to Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers every night...
@ilikpatoez
i still do that every once in a while my granfather and his wife will sit down and play his old clancy brothers records aaallll night
@jayandirene
And now, they're all gone. That's very sad. They were great.
@feelsman7837
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
@MarkRobertCuthbert
There was Bobby McGee from the banks of the Leith.
There was Hogan from county Tyrone.
There was John D. McGirk, who was scared stiff of work,
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone.
There was Slugger O'Toole, who was drunk as a rule,
And Fighting Bill Tracy from Dover,
And a man, Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover.
@abramtaylor1
Funny little song that points out one of life's hard facts-being Irish is often a drag. I know this from personal experience.