There is definitely begrudgery towards most things Irish from the English on the folk scene. That is not imagined at all, and has it's roots in the Troubles.

Nationalism isn't racism though, so people should stop calling the bigoted anti-Irish attitudes of the English racism. It is a very particular sort of English nationalist bigotry, commonly directed towards the Irish, and commonly condoned by those who have assimilated into the Anglo Irish and Anglo American dominant cultures.

As long as folk music and the "folk process" is believed by the English in particular to be their most sacred "national" music, we will continue to see this ugly, virulent nationalist bigotry continue. Because so many Brits in particular believe that any English language folk song which can be found within their political borders must have originated in England or Scotland--but absolutely not in Ireland, we will likely continue to see this ignorant and spiteful sort of thing on the British folk scene continue.

Many Brits who believe themselves above all that will still engage in this particular form of Irish bashing that Declan mentioned in his original thread. They will continue to do it because their bigotry has it's roots in the belief and value systems of 19th century romantic nationalism--and they believe that to be A Good Thing.

Many conservative English folk (and the English folk scene is made up of a lot of conservatives, just as the Anglo American folk scene is) consider the anti-Irish begrudgery something of a sport. They don't care how tiresome it all gets for Irish people, who are expected to have the skin of an armadillo in regard to anti-Irish English and British nationalist "setting people straight" about all things Irish. It is all about provocation. The button pushing is engaged in by the Brits (particularly English Brits) just to see how far they can push us before they get a reaction. Sort of like time spent with a dysfunctional family, which the English most certainly are.

No different than the ways that whites used to be able to get away with baiting blacks in the US. Blacks were hyper-aware when it was happening, and so were raised by their elders to learn to take any humiliation and harrassment, because if they reacted they risked their lives and possibly the lives of other blacks, by responding to it. So it was done by whites with impunity for centuries. It is the same behavior between the English and the Irish. It has it's roots in colonialism and romantic nationalism.