I really didn't mean to start any 'argy-bargy' -- I don't mind listening to songs sung in English by Irish performers. Heck, I listen to Luka Bloom, fer chrissakes! Some of my favorite Irish authors write in English, too. So, I'm not really as "hard core" as my comment above would suggest.

However, I do like singers who, if they're going to be performing works from a tradition not their own, at least have enough respect for that tradition to do their homework and find out a bit about it first. Everyone's heard that old saying, "Write what you know" -- Well, I'm just one of those folks who say, "Sing what you know".

-- Áine