It is the great power of satire to shine a light, to highlight the stupidities and realities of the real world. The way composers and writers represented cultures and nationalities on the musical stage during the late 1800s may well be considered somewhat offensive in today's society, but the ability to caricature for comic effect still resonates with audiences today and, as only satire can, shines a light on the often highly politicised issues raised in the operas of the time.

Charles Villiers Stanford’s most popular opera, Shamus O’Brien does just that. Set against the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the opera narrates the tale of Shamus, hunted by the English as a rebel. His journey – evading capture, facing betrayal, and – spoiler alert – ultimately dramatically escaping execution – offers a lighthearted window into the era’s cultural and political tensions.

Shamus O’Brien gained widespread appeal after its first performance at the Opéra-Comique, London, in 1896. It ran for an extraordinary 82 performances in London and toured extensively in Britain, Ireland, and internationally, with performances in New York, Chicago, and Sydney. Such was the popularity of the ‘Irish rogue’ Shamus getting one over on the English that, amid the intensifying politics of Home Rule in the 1910s, Stanford withdrew the opera, fearing it might exacerbate anti-unionist sentiments and fuel political tensions.

The Ireland that Stanford attempts to depict was, and continues to be, a melting pot of faiths and ideologies, but as an Anglo-Irishman in the late 19th century, Stanford was part of an Irish minority, and his experience, limited to Protestant-dominated Dublin society, was not representative of the broader Irish experience.

Shamus O’Brien derives from a poem by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, a poem which though on the face of it seems nationalistic in intent, was probably intended as more of a parody, given Le Fanu’s opposition to Irish Emancipation. Stanford worked with George Henry Jessop to develop the scenario and libretto, and it is quite possible that it was the sense of parody that appealed, and which justified Stanford's choice to adapt it into a comic opera. Effective comedy is derived from observations of truth.

Jessop’s libretto, though, contains a distinctly false and unrealistic blend of Irish and English, with phrases such as ‘Ochone’ and ‘Wirristhru’ employed in a forced, repetitive and frankly stereotypical manner; such usage mirrors the evolution of the phrase ‘top of the mornin’ to you’, a literary device later popularised by Hollywood in “Oirish” films.

Nevertheless, Shamus O’Brien presents its composer’s naive, almost exoticised, Ireland, not unlike Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado a decade earlier. Both operas contain clichés, but unlike The Mikado, there is a written-in hierarchy between the loquacious English characters and their Irish counterparts who, often resorting to these overused “Oirish” phrases, are presented as naive countryfolk.

The addition to the opera of the villain Mike and his love for Shamus’s wife, Nora, adds layers of romantic tension, and makes the opera a true romantic comedy, but also further subtly shifts its nationalistic tone by making it seem as if the Irish Mike is the antagonist, rather than the British oppressors: the piece's patriotic Irish message is diluted.

Despite these cultural and narrative shortcomings, Shamus O’Brien’s enduring musical prowess and entertainment value should not be understated. It does incorporate genuine Irish elements – such as Uilleann pipes and folk tunes – and the opera offers a vibrant, if not entirely accurate, portrayal of Irish life.

Paralleling contemporary shows such as Mrs Brown's Boys, its success lies in its ability to critique societal norms and highlight political tensions through a heightened, colourful, yet humorous lens. Ultimately, despite its portrayal of Irishness leaning more towards caricature than portrait, Shamus O’Brien continues to stand out as both an enjoyable and a thought-provoking piece of theatre.

Rory Dunne sings in a new recording of Stanford's Shamus O'Brien, alongside Brendan Collins, Gemma Ni Bhriain, Ami Hewitt, Anna Brady, Andrew Gavin, Joseph Doody, Catriona Clark, Jarlath Henderson, Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Opera Bohemia Voices, and conductor David Parry on Retrospect Opera's own label. Find out more: retrospectopera.org.uk