A diverse celebration of Irish music as the Shamrock Tenors hit Port Macquarie

A REGULAR on the stages of London’s West End, Belfast’s Raymond Walsh formed the Shamrock Tenors in 2018 to “change the narrative” around his homeland.

“People used to say to me, ‘You are from Northern Ireland, is that safe?’, when it is one of the safest places in the world,” Raymond said.

“Usually in TV and movies we are running about killing each other.

“I hated that narrative. I wanted to find something that portrayed the Belfast that I knew – an open, welcoming place that had come past The Troubles.”

Determined to highlight the best of his native land, Raymond set about to bring the “most talented lads” he knew from across Northern Ireland together on one stage.

“I wanted to create something that showcases that talent I knew back home and celebrates that as a band we are Catholic and Protestant and all that stuff is in the background now.

“Hopefully we can portray a positive message of home.”

With an original plan to entertain on cruise ships, the Shamrock Tenors have since played a national tour of the United States, headlined on the West End and will kick off an Australian tour in August.

The Australian tour – which includes shows in Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour – is a long time in the making.

“We were due to join a cruise ship and sail around Australia in 2020, but the day we landed in Darwin was the day Australia went into lockdown,” Raymond said.

“We ended up floating in the ocean for 10 days.

“This trip feels like a triumphant return to come back and do Australia properly.”

Raymond said the Tenors aim to deliver a “proper celebration of all elements of Irish music”.

“We are not an operatic group. You won’t see guys in suits singing big opera songs.

“The show should feel like you are in a pub in Belfast.

“You will get the lovely ballads like Danny Boy and the Fields of Athenry as well as those trad drinking songs like Wild Rover, Whiskey in the Jar and the Irish Rover.

“It is that real folk, traditional sort of edge sang in five-part harmony.

“It can be played in a theatre or with four or five people in the corner of a bar.”

The show is also a tribute to the diverse nature of Irish instrumentalism.

“You will have all the traditional Irish instruments there; the Uilleann pipes, the whistles, the bodhrán,” Raymond said.

One of the tenors, Matthew Campbell, plays 14 instruments.

“We still haven’t found a suitcase big enough for them,” Raymond said.

While on tour, Raymond hopes to try Australia’s famous coffee, visit some beautiful beaches and dreams of seeing a Great White Shark.

One thing that may be a shock is the distances between shows, particularly as “you can drive from one side of Northern Ireland to the other in two hours”.

The Shamrock Tenors will play the Glasshouse Port Macquarie on 21 August.