Birdseye's at it again!

Michelle O'Brien is from Clare though she was a pupil of Tommy's for a while.

The reason that Neilly (or Neillidh, never Nealy) Boyle and Danny O'Donnell (not ODonnell) sound different is that both had classical aspirations and were fans of Scott Skinner.

There are very distinctive differences in styles across the county and most marked when comparing say someone like Dinny McLaughlin from Inishowen to any of the Campbells from the Croaghs or to any of the Teelin/Glencolmcille fiddlers. The reasons for this are nothing to do with individual character, but the lack of public transportation and the dearth of cars in much of Donegal right up until the 1970s. For an example the O Beirne brothers from Kilcar played in a very different style to fiddlers from Teelin even though the two were separated by just a few miles.

Travelling fiddlers such as the Dohertys might have influenced the Campbells or Teelin fiddlers such as Frank and Con Cassidy but more in terms of repertoire than style.

I don't think Birdseye has anything useful to say on the subject of Donegal fiddle styles.