Martin Fay was born on 19 September 1936 in Dublin, Ireland. He was married to Grainne 'Gertie'. He died on 14 November 2012 in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland.
He was a co-founder of the group 'The Chieftains' at the time of its formation in 1962. He decided to reduce his touring commitments in 2001, keeping instead to an occasional performance before his complete retirement in 2002.