Aye thurg, I hear what your saying about the homogenizing effect, & it makes me wonder what kind of music the Irish scene up here would have produced if all the ITM flute players & fiddle players & Accordion players & pipers etc had just been playing amongst themselves for the last 100 or 150 years?

I don't have an answer by the way, it's just a thought!

Wah-Hey Seamus, yes I remember your visit well, it was a grand night indeed in the Distillers Arms. Good to hear from you. That particular summer session doesn't happen any more but the Smugglers session at the other end of town has been going for about 7 years now, every Sat night, or the Springhill Bar, Portrush every Thursday with Dee Havlin or friday night in Tom's, Ballycastle.........hint hint

Michael, thanks for requesting other Ulster-Scots thread links. I'll certainly look forward to reading those.

Sorry Paul, I'm afraid I know even less about the commerce of Norn Iron than the politics.
Not sure if this link will be of much help either:

Laganside_Corporation