Tom Clancy

Who was Tom Clancy?

Tom Clancy was a member of the Irish folk singing group The Clancy Brothers. He had the strongest voice of the brothers and had previously been an actor in numerous stage productions, appearing with Orson Welles in King Lear.

Like his older brother Patrick Clancy, he was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. Also like his brother, Clancy served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, despite their having earlier been members of the Irish Republican Army.

Discharged from the RAF at the war's end, Tom Clancy toured with a British repertory company. In 1947 he and his brother Patrick emigrated to Canada. However, they soon moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to lives with relatives. The brothers planned to go to California, but their car broke down. They decided to try New York City instead and found work as actors, both on and off Broadway.