It seems to me that there's a great deal of attention been given here to something that no longer represents Irish music (if it ever did), Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and its competitions.
One of the most influential figures in the promotion of Irish music, Breandan Breathnach, once described CCE as "an organisation with a great future behind it" – that seems to me to be a fair description of Comhaltas's role nowadays.
The 'glittering prizes' approach to Irish music taken by CCE produced an animal that was neither fish nor fowl and had little to do with what was played (and in particular), sung when the tradition was in full flight.
Twenty odd years ago a musician going into a pub with an instrument case ran the risk of being thrown out on his or her ear – if you started singing they fetched the Guards to run you out of town – the music was publicly derided and pilloried by the media as 'diddley-di" - certainly no longer the case.
Over the last ten/fifteen years youngsters have flocked to the music, not, as was once the case, for the glittering prizes, but for the love of the music and the pleasure it brings
Not before time
Jim Carroll