The Shelly River ... a record that will tickle anyone who's ever got a thrill out of Springsteen's 'Nebraska' or The Pogues' Shane McGowan at his most displaced and sentimental.
New Musical Express

Many comparisons spring to mind when listening to 'The Shelly River'. It's a musical journey from Limerick to Lubbock, with equal hints of Van Morrison, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Christy Moore and Butch Hancock to be found in his writing... like the Austin and Nashville songwriters he admires, Clarke is a storyteller. This is an impressive recording in which Clarke manages to capture the best of two worlds.
Dirty Linen

The Shelly River, joy, sorrow, parting, reunion, success, failure, procreation and passing - the stuff of memories... a breathtaking album of snapshots of those events ... the songwriting, all the instruments and the vocals, including the harmonies are the work of this giant among men. Terry Clarke explores his true ancient heart. In the wake of BBC 2's patchy 'Bringing It All Back Home', the Celtic sourced, panoramic expanses which Clarke paints with words, are truly awe inspiring.
Kerrville Kronikle

His own production deserves more than full marks. He has his voice right up front, and stays entirely with acoustic music, mostly just guitar and mandolin, and it works. The songs chart Terry's musical influences in a very direct way ... a musical travelogue, if you will. Given the right breaks and exposure I can see many drooling over Terry Clarke and this collection of songs and, to be frank even without the songs, the voice and the production deserve a much wider interest.
Folk Roots

Having shown Nashville how it should be done with the excellent 'Call Up A Hurricane, Clarke turns his attention to the Irish and - against all odds - pulls it off again. Poitin powerful Celtic rock, rich in ballads and poor in pretensions.
Time Out