Hi Ray. I know I've contributed to this thread already, but now it is obvious why you are doing this CD I would seriously urge you not to fill it with really awful, cheesy, hackneyed bullsh*t. There is a huge, really enormous volume of recorded songs out there, so you owe it to your friends to convey this to them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the stuff you suggest is bad, just that it reinforces the stereotype of the "Oirish Ballad". Your friends would get an equally wrong impression of the diversity of Irish song if you recorded a CD consisting solely of Paddy Tunney and Geordie Hanna. Embrace the beauty of all types of song, not just the pub band repertoire which has had it's day. Good luck to you and your friends.
a.w.