" musical context just doesn't make sense without some evidence."
What evidence can there possibly be Martin, apart from the evidence that we have to hand you can't prove a 150 year old negative. The same applies to present claims that virtually all (92%) of our folk songs originated on the broadside presses because the printed versions to hand predate the oral ones - this was before any serious collecting was ever carried out prior to 1899 - no evidence because there was no reason that there ever should be.
It flies in the face of reason that people suddenly where making songs by their hundreds (in Miltown) in the 20th century, yet didn't a decade or so earlier.
I still find myself reeling at the number of songs that we have learned about that have virtually no precedent in print or have never been found elsewhere, almost certainly because of their local nature.
Do you know any other versions of The Rineen Ambush (four separate versions here) The Wreck of the Leon (1 version in currency, 1 reported but not recorded and two hand written, framed and hanging in the porch of Quilty Church)
Everbody knows French's 'Are you Right There Michael' - I've never come across Straighty Flanagan's 'West Clare Railway' elsewhere.
Our late neighbour 'Paddy Mac' used to call in on Sunday evenings on his cuirdh (spelling?) and invariably would bring a tatty sheet of paper bearing a local song, 'The Drunken Bear' springs to mind, (a local reprobate who was barred out of every pub in Miltown when he went on a spree).... or further afield - The Bobbed Hair ,dating back to a hairstyle popular in the 1920s and apparently originating in the Corofin area
We included over half a dozen of these on the albums we compiled - 'Paddy's Panacea' and 'Around the Hills of Clare' - we rejected twice as many good ones because we realised they would not make sense to anybody who wasn't from here.
There was a half-serious attempt to compile a booklet of these for the forthcoming 'Gathering' - god save us from the ghosts of our ancestors!!'
I know these are all 20th century examples, but most of them are not part of political upheavals or national events - just the desire to set out experiences, feelings - etc. poetically and pass them on, even if only for a short time.
Shouldn't have started this at this time of night - I'll never get to sleep now - where's the whiskey bottle?
We are hoping to get to the Frank Harte weekend and almost certainly will be at Knockroughery - will see you somewhere before too long, no doubt.
Best to Josephine
Jim