Finbarr Clancy (born 5 March 1970) is an Irish folk singer and
multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency.
Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where ...
. Early in his career he performed with
The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumper sweaters and are widely credited with popu ...
. He later became a member of the group
The High Kings
The High Kings is an Irish folk group formed in Dublin in 2008. The band consists of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, and Paul O'Brien. As of 2020, the group had released five studio albums, four live albums, and two live DVDs, an ...
.
Birth and family
Finbarr Clancy was the only son born to folk musician
Bobby Clancy
Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Clancy Jr (11 May 1927 – 6 September 2002) was an Irish singer and musician best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers, one of the most successful and influential Irish folk groups. He accompanied his songs on five-s ...
and Moira Mooney in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
, Ireland. Bobby Clancy, who was touring with the Clancy Brothers at the time, announced Finbarr's birth on
David Frost
Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...
's television talk show. Finbarr is the nephew of the popular folk singers,
Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy ( ga, Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's ...
,
Paddy Clancy
Patrick Michael Clancy (7 March 1922 – 11 November 1998), usually called Paddy Clancy or Pat Clancy, was an Irish folk singer best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. In addition to singing and storytelling, Clancy playe ...
, and
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...
, who helped to spark the Irish folk music revival of the 1960s. Like the Clancy Brothers, he grew up in
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the so ...
in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
.
Finbarr has sometimes performed with his sister, folk singer Aoife Clancy, and his brother-in-law, Welsh singer Ryland Teifi (the husband of his sister, Roisin).
He married Gráinne Butler in 2008.
Early career
Clancy made his debut at age ten, playing the banjo and singing.
[
] In the mid-1990s, he toured the United States and Ireland with the Clancy Brothers. He sang and played 5 string banjo, electric bass and flute with the group, which consisted at the time of Bobby, Paddy, and Liam Clancy and Finbarr's cousin, singer-songwriter
Robbie O'Connell
Robbie O'Connell (born 1951) is an Irish singer songwriter who performs solo, as well as with The Green Fields of America. He also appears with Dónal Clancy (cousin), Dan Milner, and fiddler Rose Clancy. O'Connell has also toured and recorded ...
. As part of this group, Finbarr appeared in the Clancy Brothers' filmed "Farewell to Ireland" performance in early 1996, which has since been released on DVD.
Later in 1996, after Liam Clancy and Robbie O'Connell left the band, Clancy began touring with his father, uncle Paddy, and American musician Eddie Dillon in the final Clancy Brothers line-up. After Paddy Clancy's death in 1998, Finbarr continued to perform with his father as part of The Clancys and Eddie Dillon. He also performed on four albums with his father before Bobby Clancy's death in 2002. In the mid-2000s, Clancy performed in a group with Dillon and Mark Fitzpatrick.
The High Kings
In 2008, Clancy joined the new Irish ballad group,
The High Kings
The High Kings is an Irish folk group formed in Dublin in 2008. The band consists of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, and Paul O'Brien. As of 2020, the group had released five studio albums, four live albums, and two live DVDs, an ...
, along with
Martin Furey
The High Kings is an Irish folk group formed in Dublin in 2008. The band consists of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, and Paul O'Brien. As of 2020, the group had released five studio albums, four live albums, and two live DVDs, an ...
,
Darren Holden, and
Brian Dunphy. The group's first, self-titled album reached number two on the
Billboard World Music chart. In 2013, The High Kings signed with
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
.
As part of The High Kings, Clancy has performed before the presidents of the United States and the Republic of Ireland and has appeared on numerous television programs.
[
] In addition to singing, he usually plays the guitar and sometimes the banjo with the group.
Discography/Filmography
The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell
*''Farewell to Ireland'', 1996 (DVD)
The Clancys and Eddie Dillon
*''Clancy Sing Along Songs'', 1999
*''Once in a Lifetime'', 2001
The High Kings
*''The High Kings'', 2008
*''The High Kings in Dublin'', 2008 (DVD)
*''Memory Lane'', 2010
*''Live in Ireland'', 2011
*''Friends for Life'', 2013
*''Four Friends Live'', 2014 (CD & DVD)
*Grace & Glory, 2016
*Decade best of the High Kings, 2017
Guest appearances
Bobby Clancy albums
*''Make Me a Cup'', 1999
*''The Quiet Land'', 2000
Cherish the Ladies albums
*''
At Home'', 1999
*''
The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone
''The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone'' is an album by Cherish the Ladies released in 2001 on the Windham Hill label. The title reverses the lyrics "the boys won't leave the girls alone" from the Irish song " Belle of Belfast City/I'll Tell Me ...
'', 2001
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clancy, Finbarr
1970 births
Finbarr
Irish banjoists
Irish bass guitarists
Irish flautists
Irish folk singers
Irish guitarists
Living people
Male bass guitarists
Musicians from County Tipperary
People from County Tipperary
21st-century Irish male singers
21st-century bass guitarists
21st-century flautists
The Clancy Brothers members