"Some guy named Contemplator" is a woman, and a Mudcatter.   Her site is one of the best on the 'Net in my opinion.

The Complete Works of O'Carolan: Irish Harper & Composer (1670-1738)
2nd Edition, Ossian Publications
1989, Ireland
ISBN 0 946005 16 8

is a work entirely devoted to studying Carolan's music and is based on extensive research. Capt O'Neill did an absolutely excellent job of collecting a huge number of tunes, but many of the attributions could have been hearsay when the tunes were collected from musicians who picked them up from other musicians over time.

If you are not prepared to have an open mind when you put things up for discussion here then I suppose you can dismiss the work of both of these sources. But, if you have evidence to prove that O'Neill has more factual data than the other two sources, then please share that evidence with us.

I am always open to learning more about Turlough O'Carolan and his music.

Helen