The Masterless Men keep putting the shine in Shamrock Folk Festival

Brothers Wilf and John Curran were born and raised in Ferryland and the well- known Newfoundland musicians have always seen the Shamrock Folk Festival as a bit of a homecoming event.

Brothers Wilf and John Curran were born and raised in Ferryland and the well- known Newfoundland musicians have always seen the Shamrock Folk Festival as a bit of a homecoming event. The Currans have been a festival stage mainstay for more than three decades, first as a duo and now as founding members of The Masterless Men, who return for the 41st Annual Shamrock Festival with a July 26 performance. “It’s special to us, it’s where we are from,” said Wilf.

“The festival has always been something that would be a call to come home for summer holidays. It’s a great chance to connect with old friends and there are always parties. The boys in the band always enjoy it because they were made to feel right at home and made to feel part of the community, too.

It’s going to be a great show, rain or shine, either indoors or outdoors.” The Masterless Men were formed in 1991 and now includes Maurice (Mock) Greene on bass, Dave Lush on banjo and harmonica, and fiddler Greg Walsh. The band was originally called Colcannon, after the traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and vegetables.

The boys honed their craft in the concert halls and taverns of St. John’s and the Irish Loop. But the name needed to change after a performance in Florida drew the attention of a U.S. performer who claimed rights to Colcannon. “He said, ‘I don’t want you guys coming to the U.S. using that name anymore.

So, we needed a new name,” Wilf said. “The media got hold of the story and the CBC did a couple of call-in mornings and people made a bunch of suggestions.” The Masterless Men is a nod to the Irish Loop’s rich history, referring to a band of Irish men in the 1750s who defied the tyranny of their British masters.

They were a thorn in the side of the British and lived under the threat of hanging for more than a century in the mountainous area of wilderness around the Butter Pots. The band pays homage to that heritage with lively performances of Celtic music, with a little country thrown in from time to time. The band released its first album, “Ode To Age”, in 1993 which was followed by “Breakin’ New Ground” (1996), “Back on Track” (2000), “On the Run” (2002), “Bramble and Rose” (2008) and the compilation called “20” in 2011.

Wilf left the band for a while before rejoining them in 2017 after Chuck Lewis became ill and later passed away. He said Lewis and former longtime member Perry Dawe will always be a big part of the band’s legacy. He also praised the festival organizers for all the work that goes into hosting this community celebration.

“It’s a lot of energy and a lot of preparation that goes into the weekend. There are great volunteers up there,” Wilf said. “You get people pulling their campers up a week in advance.

People bring their lounge chairs around the permanent stage, it’s a nice one. It’s special there.” The festival kicks off with a dance on July 25 with opening act The Ramblers and headliner the Derina Harvey Band.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are available in advance and at the door. Performances resume the next day outside at Ferryland Festival Park starting with a set by Lord & Lady Baltimore at 1:15 p.m., followed by a youth session (1:30 p.m.), a tribute to Ron Hynes (2 p.m.), The Masterless Men (3 p.m.), the Derina Harvey Band (3:50 p.m.) and Down Forward (4:40 p.m.).