I'll second the recommendation for Flook!'s Flatfish album, and I'd place their earlier "Live" album above most of what's been listed here . .

If you want songs then the best Irish album EVER is Tommas Lynch's "Crux of the Catalogue" - as well as being excellent there's also far more variety on it than on most recording (in any genre).

Also - look out for anything by Ron Kavanah . . "Songs of rebelion and reconcilliation" is a double CD at less than single CD price but is - musically - less interesting than most of his other recordings.

And if you ever get the chance to catch Kavanah, Neill, Lynch and Luparri then kill to get there, or to buy the album.

As for Clannad - the early stuff is great; innovative treatment of trad. music, with good jazz influences. But the recent stuff is wishy-washy bland new-age wallpaper music (admitedly the best of that depressing genre, but neverthe less . . )

If your Celtic tastes extend beyond Ireland then another "must" is "Opus Blue" by Catriona Macdonald and Ian Lowthian.

G.

G.