The Bard of Armagh

Tommy Makem died Wednesday at age 74, quietly and without the fanfare he deserved. The Godfather of Irish Music, he etched his way into history with his distinctive baritone, singing richly descriptive folk songs. He came to America in 1955, where he took a job in a mill in Dover, New Hampshire. After an industrial accident left his hand crushed, he came to New York in 1961 to join up with the Clancy Brothers. They were named, along with Joan Baez, as the most promising newcomers at the Newport Folk Festival that same year.

To mark this occasion, the passing of a true bard, here is a photo montage and one of Makem's best known compositions, "Four Green Fields.":