Hollywood star John C. Reilly got well into the Irish spirit recently as he joined in a trad session in a Co Clare pub and performed a brilliant rendition of the Wild Rover.
The Guardians of the Galaxy actor was in Ireland on holiday with his wife and two children, and decided to drop in to Gus O’Connor’s pub where a traditional Irish music session was taking place.
He stood and enjoyed the atmosphere and sang along, before taking his turn as solo performer and belting out the classic Irish folk song The Wild Rover.
The performance was captured on video by various people in the pub, and has now been posted online. One man who was in the pub that night is Robert Greaney. He said: “It was a great night. He’s a tall man and he just walked and joined in with a trad session that was going on. He waited his turn and stood up and sang. He has a fabulous voice.”
Reilly is taking an extended stay in Ireland, after initially visiting for the Galway Film Fleadh. His brilliant performance will come as no surprise to many. He is well recognised as a gifted singer having appeared in musicals such as Chicago and also writing and performing his own material in the past.
The actor has starred in blockbuster movies such as Step Brothers and Wreck-It Ralph in the past. Despite his fame he was more than happy to mingle and mix with the locals in O’Connor’s pub, and join in the sing-song.
Take a look at Reilly’s performance below.
Trad sessions and sing-songs have been a fixture in Irish pubs for centuries, and are one of the key attractions for many visitors.
Earlier this year, a Dublin pub became famous after a video was posted on the internet of dozens of people taking singing and playing together in Ukulele Tuesday.
There was also the Cork barman who shot to internet fame, after his beautiful performance of xx while he was pouring a pint behind the bar.