Ron,
I appreciate what you say, and of course I respect Sinéad O'Connor for a thouroughly professional production.
I must admit my remark to Hamish was slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I can just imagine someone hearing the CD saying "If this is folk music, I'd rather listen to something else".
I'm not sure I go along with your comparisons. I think the Kingston Trio were very much "of their time" it was inevitable that they would be commercialised, but at the same time, they gave us memorable songs well performed - Tom Dooley must be one of the best known songs of the fifties. The fact that they are still playing speaks for itself.
Lonnie Donegan's performance had a raw energy that was lacking in the pop music of the time. I think he caught the music industry by surprise because he fulfilled a need that they had not perceived among the young people of the UK.
Sinéad O'Connor is already successful in her own right, and many people will buy Sean-Nós Nua because of her name. I know of one person who will buy it because it's the first time she has heard one of the songs since she sang it at school in Dublin 50 years ago, and of course many will buy it because they like it.
My opinion is that there are far better performances of traditional songs to be heard from established folk artists - and probably in singarounds at the local pub. I will listen with interest to Miss O'Connors next release, but this one is not for me.