Makem and Clancy was an Irish folk duo popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The group consisted of Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, who had originally achieved fame as a part of the trailblazing folk group The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in the 1960s. Makem and Clancy sang a combination of traditional Irish music, folks songs from a variety of countries, and newly written pieces, including compositions that Tommy Makem himself wrote. One reporter described their music as "more polished and varied than that used by the Clancy Brothers."

Although best known for their albums, concerts, and television programs, Makem and Clancy had three top ten singles in Ireland, including the number one hit, "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." Upon Liam Clancy's death in 2009, Irish broadcaster and writer Shay Healy noted about the group: "America had Elvis, Britain had The Beatles—Ireland had Makem and Clancy."

After initially achieving fame with The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem began a solo career in 1969. After Makem's departure, the Clancy Brothers began scaling back their busy touring schedule to the point that, by the mid-'70s, they were touring only part of the year. When not touring with his brothers, Liam Clancy started performing solo. In late 1974, suffering financial setbacks because of misreported taxes, Clancy filed for bankruptcy and moved his family to live with his in-laws in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Clancy's brother-in-law, Leo Cote, began producing a series of successful local solo gigs for him. Clancy's concerts in Calgary caught the attention of a television producer, who signed him for thirteen episodes of his own syndicated music and talk show for the Spring season of 1975. The show was a hit and was renewed for twenty-six more episodes for the 1975–1976 season. He also released his first solo album in ten years, Farewell to Tarwathie, notable for his first recording of "The Dutchman".

At the same time, Makem was also achieving success in releasing seven solo albums, sold-out concerts, and television appearances, including a Canadian television series of his own.

Makem and Clancy both performed as solo acts at the Cleveland Irish Festival in July 1975. According to interviews, the two of them had to keep meeting with each other to make sure the other did not sing the same songs at each other's separate gigs. They decided to team up for a one-time performance together at the festival. Their pairing was successful, and they received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience. Soon after, Clancy invited Makem onto his Canadian television series, "The Liam Clancy Show". On the final show of the season, Makem appeared as a guest; this hit episode, which won an Emmy Award for Best Half-hour Entertainment in a Variety Show, led to the two of them being signed together for twenty-six additional episodes on television in the 1976–1977 season. Their series was called "The Makem & Clancy Show".

In February 1976, Makem and Clancy announced that they were joining forces and embarked on a tour of Canada. The following May, they began production on their television series in Calgary. Clancy toured with the Clancy Brothers at least one last time in March 1976 before officially leaving the group and joining Makem full-time.

In the autumn of 1976, the television series premiered. During the run of their show, they invited Scottish folk singer Archie Fisher to appear as a guest performer on an episode. Fisher told Makem and Clancy he wanted to produce a record with them. Makem and Clancy agreed and, with Fisher, produced their debut self-titled album, Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy, released in December 1976 on their own record label, Blackbird Records. Three of their subsequent albums were released on their label. The self-titled album included all-new songs they had not recorded before, including Makem's own compositions Windmills and Gordon Bok's "Hills of Isle Au Haut". The last-minute addition of the anti-war song, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, added to the album's success. The song quickly became Clancy's signature piece and reached the number one spot on the Irish music charts.

With Maurice Cassidy as their international manager and Makem's wife Mary Makem as their manager in the United States, the duo began touring full-time, performing at all the major venues and festivals in North America, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and appearing on all the major talk shows outside the U.S. as well as their own television specials. Usually, they would tour the British Isles in January and February, and for six weeks in June, July and August; Australia in May; North America in March and in the autumn.