Recordings

The Holy Ground landmark recordings

The Holy Ground was rediscovered by a new generation during the folk revival of the 1960s.

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The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem probably did more than anyone else to make the song popular all across the world. Their version is high spirited, infectious and performed with a great sense of style.

The High Kings, of course, have a direct connection with the Clancy Brothers through singer Finbarr Clancy, who is the son of Bobby Clancy and the nephew of the three brothers, Tom, Paddy and Liam.

In this video, Finbarr pays tribute to his famous uncles, and then he and The High Kings sing the Holy Ground while wearing the famous Aran sweaters that became the trademark of The Clancy Brothers.

The Dubliners were the other founding fathers of the Irish folk music revival. Here, with Luke Kelly on vocals, they perform a typically rousing performance of The Holy Ground.

The Holy Ground us usually performed as a raucous singalong sea shanty but it doesn’t have to be like that. The song has a more sensitive side.

Irish singer Mary Black shows just how beautiful it can sound when slowed down and sung as a tender ballad. Take a listen. This is totally different.

More on The Holy Ground
The Holy Ground main page
Recordings
Lyrics and chords