The result has been many thousands of young people streaming into the music and playing it like old masters"
only partly true, other factors contribute to this phenomemenon, including encouragement from the media, vast government funding,parental encouragement which includes parents being able and considering it a priority to spend money on instruments, basically a difference of cultural priority.
your argument is an over simplification, some of the youngsters are not playing in anything but the style advocated by CCE, much as you might wish to ,Jim, you cannot ignore the influence of CCE, THEY STILL HAVE AN INFLUENCE AND BRING AN ATTITUDE OF COMPETITIVENESSWHICH IS NOT HEALTHY. all is not rosy in the trad music garden in ireland although despite CCE it is healthier than in the uk.