Just to qualify my point about Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair. Their version was indeed, beautifully sung and produced and has become a timeless classic, but it didn't do any favours to folk music. It was the original and modernised (bastardised if you like) style in which they recorded it made it appeal to a wide audience. Unfortunately, the popularity of this song diminished its appeal to folk musicians who, themselves want to sound original.

Earl, the only times I've heard singers or bands cover Whiskey in the Jar, they have done it in the style of Thin Lizzy. Among session musicians and singers it is rarely performed and is more or less a 'dead' song even though most of these people are big Thin Lizzy fans. Perhaps its a case of familiarity breeds contempt.

Simon & Garfunkel didn't ruin the song simply because they neglected to state the songs origins or refused to contribute towards the British Folk genre, but because it became a household tune which everybody knows and is therefore no longer exclusive to folk musicians/lovers. Singing this song is guaranteed, however, to get a non-folk crowd going, back to the bums on seats argument again.

Laoise.