You can correct me if I'm wrong but I think that at a certain point in their history, the Brits became too sophisticated for their own good. They let their traditional music slip out of vogue. So now you have certain people who really love it and devote themselves to it's legacy. The Irish, on the other hand, have made it a focus of ethnic pride.

That said, popularity, hype if you will, are no measure of worth. At this this point, another rendition of "Whiskey in the Jar" might get a couple of yelps from me as well.