"The 'folk' who originally sang these songs were indeed 'aurally untrained' in the sense that they did not undergo any formal training in order to *cultivate an appreciation* of their own art. They were born and bred in the middle of it."
Oooooh (sucking of teeth sound!) Complicated one this Rosie - there are accounts of singers being taught by older singers - Joe Heaney and Johnny McDonagh were both 'taught' by their uncle, Colm Keane.
Depends also on how far back you want to go - and how far afield. Bert Lloyd talked about young singers undergoing an 'apprenticeship' and sitting the equivalent of an 'exam' after a given period in some Eastern European countries.
I think we all tend to forget that we caught our own tradition/s when they were, in most cases, being remembered rather than participated in, so we don't really know what they were like in full flower.
Jim Carroll