Hi,
I play Irish music using original Greek instrument because of the extremely aggresive sound that I like better than Irish style flatbacks. This is a 8-string instrument: 2 top pairs unison, 2 lower octave. Originally (in Greece where I bought it) it was tuned CFAD (one tone below the top four of the guitar). I play guitars first of all, I didn't want to change fingering or use capo, so I retuned it to guitar-like DGHE. Of course I changed strings to more or less ultra lights 12-string guitars set (0.009").
It works.
Regards,
Szarak