The Shamrocks Motorcycle Club is categorized by Irish heritage, leather jackets emblazoned with green and white, and law enforcement backgrounds. “We wanted to start a motorcycle club exclusively for United States federal agents, like FBI, Secret Service, or customs agents,” says Daniel Mulcahy, president and one of the two Shamrocks' founding fathers, appropriately nicknamed “The Father.” A customs agent himself, Mulcahy founded The Shamrocks in August 2005, along with Jeff “Gus” Peterson.

In a nutshell, “The Shamrocks is a nonprofit organization designed to promote brotherhood between Federal Law Enforcement Officers,” according to their website. Since the group's inception in 2004, membership has continued to strengthen; there are currently several chapters throughout the northeast, located primarily in Vermont and New York. For members, the number is large, growing, and mysterious. “We don't like to give out our numbers,” says Mulcahy, who has reservations about other clubs knowing exactly how many Shamrocks there are.

“The Shamrocks does an excellent job portraying positive qualities both as a club and professionally,” says Clifford “Jackal” Barnes, president of the Dragoons Motorcycle Club, which like the Shamrocks, is made up of federal law enforcement agents. “The Dragoons, and myself individually, consider the Shamrocks' membership to be of the highest quality people to be found both on the road, and as allied professionals. It is, and has been, an example to all law enforcement clubs that can be found today.”

"The Shamrocks does an excellent job portraying positive qualities both as a club and professionally."

Connection to law enforcement is not a mandatory requirement to join the club; however, if you are not a federal agent, you need to be referred by an existing member. After what is more-or-less a trial period, you are eventually voted on. Your fate rests in the hands of the other men, who consider how well you gel with them and their mind sets. While the Shamrocks are far from Alfalfa, Spanky, and Buckwheat's “He Man Woman Haters Club,” membership is reserved only for males. “Some guys' wives or girlfriends can ride with us, but they can't join,” says Mulcahy, who has been into motorcycles since he was fifteen. In addition to a Y chromosome, prospective members must have an American motorcycle.

There are other common qualities in Shamrocks, such as Irish heritage, but those are purely coincidental, and are not membership requirements. While Mulcahy grew up in Troy, New York, his father is from County Tipperary, Ireland. As a result, Mulcahy, a former federal agent at the United States embassy in Dublin, spent much of his life going back and forth between the United States and Ireland. “My heart is from Ireland,” he says. “I've lived there, I have family there… I'm an American, but in my bones, I'm an Irishman.”

"My heart is from Ireland. I've lived there, I have family there... I'm an American, but in my bones, I'm an Irishman."

Another coincidence is the similarity between Ireland and Vermont. Known “the Emerald Isle,” Ireland is world renowned for the country's beautiful green countryside. Green and bucolic, Vermont is the closest thing the United States has to Ireland, but that's not why Mulcahy lives in Colchester with his wife and daughter. Vermont just happens to be middle ground between Mulcahy's home state of New York and his wife's home state of Massachusetts.

Another commonality among the Shamrocks is veteran status. “Military guys like the camaraderie and the brotherhood; it's the same thing in the service,” says Mulcahy, who himself served as a marine in Beirut, Lebanon. The brotherhood, which is comparable to that of a college fraternity, is the main reason Mulcahy and Peterson started the Shamrocks in the first place.

On the surface, the Shamrocks, who have bimonthly meetings, may seem like nothing more than a male social club, but like fraternities, charity work is one of the group's primary reasons for existing. “It's a big, powerful community,” says Mulcahy. “If one guy's down, everyone comes for support.” In addition to riding and bonding together, the massive network of Shamrocks get together with the simple, admirable intentions of “trying to raise charity;trying to help people out,” as Mulcahy put it.

During the weekend of February 4, the Shamrocks, along with the Renegade Pigs Motorcycle Club of Troy, hosted the first annual United Shields Rally in Albany, New York. The event was a fundraising benefit for the family of John Finn, a fallen police lieutenant from Albany. Over fifty motorcycle clubs came together to raise money for two days, all of which was given to Finn's widow.

It was during this event that the Shamrocks first became acquainted with the Dragoons of New York, and the two groups immediately hit it off. “The Shamrocks is one of the best clubs going that I have come across,” says Barnes. “The guys are well organized, not afraid to jump in and plan major events, and above all, they encompass what brotherhood and camaraderie are all about both on a club level, as well as a professional level.”

"The Shamrocks is one of the best groups I've come across."

The Shamrocks is a fairly young group, and its members have already managed to make a difference, philanthropy-wise. As time goes on, more chapters start up with more members (there are several possibilities for new chapters, including some in Ireland and Italy), the Shamrocks will continue to help people while simultaneously reversing the “rowdy bikers” stereotype.

Well, not completely reverse it. I asked Mulcahy if he had any anecdotes he'd like to share. “None I'd want to repeat for you to put on paper,” he responded with a laugh.

Are you as proud to be Irish as the Shamrocks?

How Motorcycles Started

Without motorcycles, there would be no Shamrocks. So how did motorcycles come to be? Toward the end of the 1800s, the first bicycle was invented. However, some felt that it was too slow. In 1903, two particular individuals strapped an engine to the bicycle and performed a series of experiments and fine-tuned their invention. These two pioneers were none other than William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two names combine to make Harley-Davidson, among the most respected names in motorcycles. Today, Harley-Davidson has companies in sixteen other countries, including Canada, Japan, Belgium, Spain, and New Zealand.

Friends of Shamrock

The world of motorcycle clubs is often very tight. Various groups keep in touch through each other's websites, and often sign guestbooks and make plans to meet up and ride together. Meet some of the Shamrocks' cohorts and co-riders.

The Celtic Society Motorcycle Club, California

The Jacobites Motorcycle Club, Germany

The Military Veterans Motorcycle Club: Wolf Pack Chapter, Connecticut

Iron Order Motorcycle Club, Kentucky

Hired Guns Motorcycle Club, Italy

Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club, Massachusetts

Brothers of the Creed Motorcycle Club, Nevada