[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 768 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     December 11, 2007.
Whereas Thomas ``Tommy'' Makem was born on November 4, 1932 in Keady, County 
        Armagh, in Northern Ireland;
Whereas Thomas Makem emigrated from Ireland to Dover, New Hampshire in 1955, 
        after having won the All-Ireland Championship in acting, to pursue a 
        career in acting and carrying with him only a makeshift suitcase, a pair 
        of bagpipes, and proof of his health;
Whereas in 1956 Thomas Makem joined the Clancy Brothers, all of whom had 
        immigrated to the United States from Ireland, and began performing 
        musically together as ``The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem'' and were 
        signed by Columbia Records;
Whereas in 1961 Thomas Makem performed at the Newport Folk Festival and, along 
        with Joan Baez, was named as the most promising newcomer;
Whereas in 1963 the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed at the White House 
        at the request of President John F. Kennedy;
Whereas the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem continued to perform and record 
        music together, performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall and on 
        programs including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show until 1969 
        when Thomas Makem left the band amicably to pursue a solo career;
Whereas in 1975 Thomas Makem again joined with Liam Clancy and the duo performed 
        together until 1988, including a Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem reunion 
        at the Lincoln Center in New York City, New York;
Whereas in 1997 Thomas Makem wrote a book, Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland, and in 
        1999 premiered his own one-man theatre show, Invasions and Legacies, in 
        New York, and established the Tommy Makem International Festival of Song 
        in South Armagh, Ireland in 2000;
Whereas throughout his performing career Thomas Makem was highly regarded as an 
        exceptional musician by both his colleagues and the public and received 
        many awards and honors including the World Folk Music Association's 
        Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and honorary doctorates from the 
        University of New Hampshire in 1998, the University of Limerick in 2001, 
        and the University of Ulster in 2007; and
Whereas Thomas Makem died on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 in Dover, New Hampshire 
        and will now be remembered as a dedicated husband, father, and 
        grandfather and as one of the greatest Irish-Americans of the 20th 
        Century: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life of Thomas 
``Tommy'' Makem, and his accomplishments as a musician, composer and performer.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.