The Shamrocks
The Virago at Gluttony
Sun Feb 22, 2026 

Right from the opening number the eager crowd were clapping their hands. Clearly the Irish diaspora were here in force and determined to have a good time. And that’s what The Shamrocks delivered. By now what is clearly a well-oiled machine sang and danced their way through a set of mostly Irish standards – Black Velvet Band, The Wild Rover, Whisky in the Jar, etc. It’s high energy infectious music that almost demands audience participation.

In case there were any full blood Australians in the audience (!) The Pub With No Beer and Waltzing Matilda got a quick nod, and of course there was a rousing all-in version of Bound for South Australia.

Five blokes singing together ensure that the emphasis most of the time is on the vocals but the tunes were supplemented by acoustic guitar, fiddle, flutes, keyboard, and bodhrans. An impressive bodhran solo was a highlight, but was outdone by an even more impressive duelling bodhrans segment. Loved it.

In a moment of Celtic solidarity the classic Red is the Rose (Irish) and The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond (Scottish) were joined together as one song.

For me the absolute highlight was the much quieter and delicate The Parting Glass. Here we could actually hear the distinctive voice of each Shamrock. The louder, faster, high energy arrangements might be perfect for whipping up audience enthusiasm, but it comes at a cost. Only in this quieter song could you really get a sense of how effective their vocal harmonies are.  An annoying and intrusive bass backing track on most songs didn’t help.

The finale, Ireland’s Call, did in fact feel like a clarion call and the raised fists at show’s end felt like a not-so-subtle political statement.  ‘We will give you a good time, and we are Irish!’ Quite stirring.  Seems the Shamrocks also have a serious side.