Mourners gather for Liam Clancy's funeral
Music fans are expected to line the streets today to bid farewell to folk legend Liam Clancy.
The Co Tipperary-born performer was the last surviving member of the Clancy Brothers, who were credited with bringing Irish traditional music to a world audience in the 1960s.
Dubbed as Ireland’s first pop stars, international artists including Bob Dylan acknowledged their major influence on the music scene.
The 74-year-old was surrounded by his wife Kim and daughters Siobhan and Fiona when he passed away in hospital on Friday.
Clancy had been suffering from a six-month long respiratory illness and it is understood he died of complications.
He had spoken by telephone with his musician son Donal earlier in the day while his other son Eban was returning home from the UK.
The funeral will be held in St Mary’s Church Dungarvan, close to Ring, Co Waterford where the singer had been living since the 1980s.
Tributes to Clancy, who also enjoyed a successful solo career, poured in from leading figures in music and the arts.
Folk singer Christy Moore said his career was profoundly influenced by the Clancy brothers and their bandmate Tommy Makem.
“The way they sang in their own accents, it was Irish, it was also very funky and it was rock and roll,” he said.
“I think history will see the Clancys as having changed a lot of things in Ireland.”
The Funeral Mass takes place at 12.30pm.
