I really don't want to give the impression that I am either anti-EFDSS or Comhaltas. There are merits (or potential merits) in both. Comhaltas did play a great part in protecting the music in the dark days and I have nothing but respect for the wonderful members who devoted and still devote their time to passing on the music; many of them are or were my friends.
The same goes for the pioneers of English traditional music.
In the case of both organisations it seems that somewhere along the way they have gone astray; EFDSS has become a nonentity and CCE have evolved into an influential and wealthy bureaucracy who has taken it upon itself to re-invent Irish music (and particularly dance).
As things stand at present Ireland does not need Comhaltas as the music is undergoing a tremendous renaissance without it.
I believe England does need an authoritative and knowldgeable body to pull together all the disparate threads and give traditional music some direction.   
Jim Carroll
PS Miltown Malbay (the home of traditional music!)