I'm a Geordie musician who made a partial living playing unamplified mainly Irish music in Ireland for several years.

The summer tourist crowds had a high proportion of German people, and I was always struck by very well informed they were about such as Seamus Ennis & Johnny Leary rather than Irish commercial stuff.

One very pleasant German explained that traditional German (a blanket term anyway!) music had become so debased by its use and promotion by the Nazi Party, that most were ashamed of it.

The consequence being a search for an alternative, and the Irish tradition being fairly prominent and lively (!) it was latched on as an alternative. Not always welcomed by Irish musicians as Germans & Europeans generally tend to clap their hands in all the wrong places!!