Patrick Clancy, often called Pat or Paddy, was a member of the Irish folksinging group the Clancy Brothers, and the eldest of the brothers. Like the other members he was primarily a vocalist, but on occasion would play harmonica as well. He was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, of a family of nine. During World War II he served as a flight engineer in the RAF in Asia. He has also reportedly been a member of the Irish Republican Army. Following the War, Pat travelled to Venezuela to search for emeralds, and in 1947 had made it to Canada with his brother Tom. Together they moved to Cleveland, Ohio to stay with relatives. They attempted to move to California, but their car broke down, and they decided on New York City instead, and both began acting.

In 1955 their younger brother Liam immigrated to New York, and had met with Tommy Makem. The two began singing together, and were soon joined by Pat and Tom. Around the same time, Pat founded Tradition Records , and together they released the first album by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem: The Rising of the Moon.

The group achieved phenomenal success in America, and they performed together for decades. After splitting and reforming several times, Makem left the group for good, but Pat continued performing with the Clancy Brothers until his death of cancer in 1998.