Paddy Clancy is the eldest of the Clancy Brothers and one of four boys and five girls born in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary Ireland to Robert and Joan Clancy.

At the age of 15, Paddy served his time as a house painter and decorator. During World War ll he spent two years as a flight engineer in India. A few years later he emmigrated to the US via Canada and in 1953 was co-founder with brother Tom and Noel Behan, of Trio Productions at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York.

At that time he and Tom became active in the folk-song revival in the US and he started his own record company, traditional records (the first label to record The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem).

Paddy had the best of both worlds, touring with the Clancy Brothers for part of the year, and at the same time building a reputation as farmer and breeder of exoctic cattle with a dairy herd thrown in for good measure!

One of his great delights was trout fishing on the stream that ran through his farm.