I was delighted to hear of the latest move in the Kennedy saga, but having slept on it, I wonder if anything will really change.
Remembering the pitifully small sales of recordings of traditional singers in the past (Robert Cinnamond, John Reilly, Mary Ann Carolan et al) and recalling some of the convoluted discussions on the relative merits of traditional and revival singers on these threads, I believe it is one thing to make available the recordings, but quite another for them to have any sort of impact in what happens in the clubs.
Topic Records is very much a different beast than it was under Jerry Sharp and Bert Lloyd,and even when Tony Engle held sway . The clue of this lies in the statement: "Topic Records has acquired the rights to the recordings and will be working towards releases of as much of the material as is commercially viable". Unless this material becomes 'commercially viable' all that will have happened is that it will have moved from one set of shelves to another.
Sorry to be the spectre at the feast.
It is good news that at last the recordings will go to a place where they will be archived properly and eventually (I hope) made widely available.
Good luck to all concerned.
Jim Carroll