"Old farts", "beards and heart attacks"? It's a bit dismaying to see that rampant ageism appears to be a prominent feature of the Shining New Revival!
Please remember that Martin Carthy, stalwart of the post-war and subsequent revivals, often relates that one of his early inspirations was an 80 year old fisherman - Sam Larner. Many of the artists, featured in my CD and record collection, were past the 'first-flush-of-youth' when they were recorded - but it was often these older people who had kept the old songs alive.
Musical tastes and abilities don't usually atrophy and wither away when a person reaches 50, you know - sometimes they can benefit from maturity. Most popular musical culture, these days, seems to cater exclusively for young people but what've always liked about the folk scene is its inclusiveness. In recent decades younger people have had a tendency to stay away from folk because they have perceived it as 'uncool'. There may be signs that the present generation of young people are taking a new interest - and that's a good sign and to be welcomed. Nevertheless, if folk shows signs of becoming just another aspect of youth culture, and nothing else, I'm out-a-here!