Liam Clancy of The Clancy Brothers passed away on Friday at the age of 74.
The traditianal music luminary died from pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lung) after a long illness, at Bon Secours Hostpital in Cork. Clancy performed his final gig at the National Concert Hall in pay, when illness forced him to cut short the second of a two night sold out run.
A statement on Clancy's official website reads, "Liam, the last surviving member of the Clancy Brothers, is survived by his wife Kim and their four children, Eben, Siobhan, Donal and Fiona, his eight grandchildren and his sisters Joan and Peg. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and his many fans throughout the world."
Many tributes have been paid to Liam Clancy, a singer even revered by Bob Dylan, who once said that he could not "think of anybody who's a better ballad singer than Liam".
"He was a wonderful singer. There was a richness to his voice which was amazing, and a clarity of diction and enunciation which came from his grounding in theatre. To hear Liam Clancy sing was to a fantastic privilege. His passing will be greatly mourned by anyone with a love of, or a feel for, Irish folk music. But his marvellous legacy will live on."- Niall Stokes, Editor of Hot Press.
"I am very saddened to hear about the passing of Liam Clancy ... Liam Clancy, along with his brothers, kicked-open a very important door for Irish music and artists in the USA. " - Darren Holden of The High Kings
"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." – Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
