Clubs took a nosedive in the eighties before the advent of the technology that gives us access to as much as we have now
There's just as much of that access here but youngsters would rather have their their music as a shared experience as they always have, not by retreating into their private shells
Here we have the best of both worlds - good sessions and traditional music on the media seven nights a week
Rather than festivals, the most successful events are we-end or week long schools for learning to play and understand the music - and hundreds of musicians teaching newbies to play
Song has some way to go to catch up but it's getting there
Of course, a recognation that the music is important enough to work at it to make sure it's played or sung well has helped
You seldom see anybody singing from a crib-sheet or mobile phone here
Jim Carroll