[1][3][5][6] In 1976, as part of the duo Makem and Clancy, he had a number one hit in Ireland with the anti-war song "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" (written by Scots-Australian Eric Bogle).

[8] He was born at Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland on 2 September 1935,[9] the ninth and youngest surviving child (two died in childhood)[2] of Robert Joseph Clancy and Joanna McGrath.

[9][10] The Clancys were a republican family with Liam's uncle Peter McGrath serving under Dan Breen in a flying column during the Irish War of Independence.

Before he was twenty years old, Liam had founded the local dramatic society now called "Brewery Lane Theatre and Arts Centre", and had produced, directed, set-directed, and starred in John Millington Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.

They recorded their seminal The Rising of the Moon album in 1959, giving live performances in the American cities Boston, Chicago and New York.

[2] A record-breaking sixteen-minute-long performance[9] on American TV's The Ed Sullivan Show on 17 March 1961 launched the group into stardom.

[16][17] Liam played the guitar in almost all the recordings of the Clancy Brothers, and he took lead vocals in many songs, including "The Wild Rover", "The Shoals of Herring", "Port Lairge", "The Juice of the Barley", "The Patriot Game", "The Gallant Forty Twa", "The Jolly Tinker", "The Nightingale", "Peggy Gordon", "Old Maid in the Garrett", and "The Parting Glass", which closed every Clancy Brothers concert.

[2] He had a hit with "The Dutchman" at this time, and he presented his own television show in Calgary, also appearing on the CBC concert series Summer Evening in 1976.

[19] In later life, Liam maintained a solo career accompanied by musicians Paul Grant and Kevin Evans, whilst also engaging in other pursuits.

[3] His home in Waterford was designed by the celebrity architect Duncan Stewart and featured solar panels which were innovative at the time.

In 2008 Liam performed in a filmed concert titled Liam Clancy and Friends: Live at The Bitter End which featured the last filmed performance of his friend Odetta, as well as songs from Tom Paxton, Shane MacGowan, Gemma Hayes, Eric Bibb, and Fionn Regan as well as members of Danú.

The film includes appearances by Pete Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Bob Dylan, Odetta, and many others[14] as well as much unseen archive such as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem at Newport Festival.

The Irish Times praised the film and director Gilsenan who it said had "tracked down an impressive number of secondary sources, and his use of other performers' music is often inspired".

[24] He had already given his final performance, at the National Concert Hall the previous May, during which he recited the Dylan Thomas poem "And death shall have no dominion".

[24] He was unable to perform a full-length show on the closing night of a two-night sold-out run but put in a 40-minute appearance nonetheless.

[5] He was buried in the new cemetery in An Rinn, County Waterford, where he spent the last years of his life, owning a successful recording studio.

[5] Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said, "Liam Clancy was a nationally and internationally renowned folk singer and was an example of an absolutely dedicated artistic craftsman.

This generous and life-giving person enriched all of our lives with memorable songs and was part of the fabric of Ireland's proud traditional music culture".

[29][30] Clancy's mid-day funeral at St. Mary's Church, Dungarvan, on 7 December was attended by hundreds of mourners, including both the Aides de Camp of the Taoiseach and President of Ireland, Minister Cullen and various musicians and artists.