It seems to me that the Comhaltas' Fleadh Ceol has been a huge success in spawning a large number of "music camps" throughout the year and all around the island. It's become an industry in its own right. It's a delight to see so many youngsters get involved and progress to great skill levels, but somewhere along the way it seems they are not taught the nature of folk. Maybe that part of their learning is presumed to happen in pubs and sessions. I watched a session in pub during Willie Clancy week a few years ago, with 14 girls and one boy, violinists all, I'd guess all about 14 or 15 years old. They played all in lockstep with the teacher. I realize that there is a school of thought that one should master the craft before trying to improvise, but those young ones came across as well-trained, mechanical clones, ready to play in most any orchestra, but not as folk musicians. Far better that than not to play at all, but still, I was sort of saddened by it. They were fine violinists, but not fiddlers.