I do agree, I wasn't meaning that when I said, singers should research the dialect, that they should copy the dialect when singing a song from that particular region. It's just when someone obviously learns a song from a book and possibly hasn't heard the place names pronounced before, it takes away from the song and the singer.
I heard a singer a few years ago singing in Forkhill (Slievegullion Singing Weekend) and I enjoyed the song, I picked up from his accent that he was from Dublin. After he finished I told him I enjoyed the song, only to hear a broad Belfast accent thank me. He later sang a Clare song in a Clare dialect.
Malcolm, one song (the name eludes me at present) Martin Carthy sings,he pronounces the town of Ballymoney as 'Bally-moanie'
I will find the name of the song and add it later.
Don't get me wrong, I love Martin Carthy singing, I don't mean to slight him or his singing.
    songsmith