Clancy Brothers' musical legacy celebrated at Carrick-on-Suir reception for 56 US visitors

Caption for picture above: Pictured are the American visitors, Cathaoirleach of Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Cllr Kieran Bourke (front far left) and local invited guests at Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall on the occasion of the hosting of a mayoral reception to US ballad group The Pub Runners and their entourage from Michigan to Carrick-on-Suir on Sunday, April 7. Picture Anne Marie Magorrian

Carrick-on-Suir laid out the red carpet for a group of 56 US tourists, led by The Pub Runners ballad group, when they made a whistle-stop visit to the hometown of the band’s folk music idols - the Clancy Brothers.

Cllr Kieran Bourke, Cathaoirleach of Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District, hosted a mayoral reception for the troubadours and their large entourage of followers from Michigan at Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall on Sunday, April 7.

The Pub Runners performed two of the ballads the Clancy Brothers’ made famous, Wild Mountain Thyme and Brennan on The Moor at the function.

Carrick-on-Suir singer and musician Kevin Power, a nephew of the Clancys, sang the latter song with them.

A beautiful rendition of Galway Bay was also sung by one of the American visitors, Kathleen West from Michigan.

On behalf of the people of Carrick, Cllr Bourke extended a Ceád Mile Fáilte to the American group following The Pub Runners Doug Berkshire, Jerry Belanger and Michael Francis on their musical tour of Ireland. The group has toured extensively in the US and Europe and also performed at a number of Irish festivals in America.

“When I learned the Pub Runners musical tour would take in Carrick-on-Suir I was extremely pleased to accord a mayoral reception to the band and their followers,” he said.

“Carrick-on-Suir may be a small town but it has a big welcoming heart,” he told them.

The Fianna Fáil councillor noted The Pub Runners music is influenced by Jerry Belanger’s family’s Irish culture and the Clancy Brothers’ music and songs. Doug Berkshire, meanwhile, is passionate about Irish and Scottish music while Michael’s passion is French Canadian music.

Cllr Bourke wished the visitors a “safe and pleasant time” for the remainder of their trip to Carrick-on-Suir.

Fellow Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne also welcomed the US visitors and hoped they enjoyed their stay in his hometown and will return again to Carrick.

Jerry Belanger said they were very honoured to be in Carrick-on-Suir and honoured to be singing in the hometown of the Clancy Brothers. He recalled seeing the Clancy Brothers perform in concert at the University of Michigan with his parents when he was a child and found their energy and voices inspirational.

He said a lot of the folk songs he grew up with were the songs performed by the Clancy Brothers. It had changed his life.

Kevin Power said he was really amazed and delighted to see such a great turnout of Americans who came to visit the hometown of his uncles.

“I don’t think the people of Carrick-on-Suir really believe the impact the Clancy Brothers had in the United States and all over Ireland.”

Mr Power recounted how Irish music was at a “very low ebb” and unfashionable when the Clancy Brothers went to the United States but when they started performing Irish folk ballads in New York as they were trying to get a theatre up and running, they found an appreciative audience.

“The songs that weren’t so much appreciated in Ireland and had gone out of fashion suddenly had an audience. They were as surprised as anyone else. Their singing went down better than their acting,” he joked.

He recalled how the Clancy Brothers became famous after their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1961. And when they returned to Ireland, their singing started the Irish ballad revival that in turn led to the revival of Irish traditional music. They started a whole revolution.

As he joined The Pub Runners to sing Brennan on The Moor, Mr Power pointed out that his uncle Bobby Clancy learned the song from a man called Donovan in Ballypatrick.

As with Wild Mountain Thyme, everyone gathered in the Council chamber in the town hall joined in with singing the lyrics to the 19th century ballad about a highway man.

The reception concluded with Cllr Bourke presenting commemorative scroll certificates to each of the American visitors. They were also presented with a keyring featuring a QR code that will link you to the website where you can sign up to receive a newsletter about Carrick-on-Suir.

The Pub Runners, in turn, presented green t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “The Great Lakes Irish” to the Council.

Walter Dunphy, Chairman of Carrick’s Clancy Brothers Festival, Roseanne Glascott, Chairperson of Brewery Lane Theatre; Tony Musiol, Chairman of Carrick-on-Suir Tourism & Economic Development Committee and Niall Walsh, Chairman of Carrick-on-Suir Development Association were among the local guests at the mayoral reception.

Cllr Bourke thanked Patsy Fitzgerald of Carrick-on-Suir Development Association, Carrick Municipal District Administrator Marie O’Gorman and her staff for their work in organising the event.

The Pub Runners and the tourists travelling with them visited Cooney’s Pub on Carrick’s Main Street before departing on the next stage of their Irish tour.