A new documentary looks at the life and music of Liam Clancy.
'The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy' tells the story of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem told by the last surviving member Liam Clancy.
They played some of the biggest venues in the world.
Produced by Crossing The Line Films, and directed by Alan Gilsenan the film documents the group's rise to fame in America playing to a packed Carnegie Hall. Among their fans was Bob Dylan who described Liam Clancy as,
The best ballad singer I've ever heard in my life.
Celebrating his 74th birthday, Liam Clancy attended the premiere of the film at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin. The film is a mixed bag of emotions for Liam Clancy who is thrown back into a life that he once knew.
Alan Gilsenan believes that performers cultivate a mask that they present to the public and it took time to reveal the truth behind Liam Clancy's mask.
Among the admirers in attendance at the premiere including Paul Brady, Glen Hansard and Moya Brennan. Paul Brady tells RTÉ News,
I'm here because I'm a huge fan of Liam Clancy. I always was. I think he's a fantastic singer, a great showman.
Glen Hansard describes Liam Clancy as,
Ireland's first rock star.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 2 September 2009. The reporter is Mary Calpin.
