There have been about a hundred or so of these conferences across the US in the past decade or so Maryrrf. You are right about the musicians, they are all excellent. There are some other interesting people on the bill too.

But the stated purpose of this conference is so obtuse, it looks like a nothing more than preening session for academics in front of the camera (let us not forget, they are making documentary and writing a book about themselves at this conference) and a captive, almost exclusively Irish American audience. I have no interest in being the audience for a discussion of their self-absorbed, didactic "Irish identity" issues, nor listening to them blame Up the 'RA Americans for the Troubles.

Spare me.