DAVE. Comhaltas came into existence in IRELAND IN 1951,because concerned people, felt irish traditional music was in danger of extinction. in my opinion the situation wasnt much different in england in 1951.[please find me an english tradional fiddle player who was in the same league as Coleman]sorry but stephen Baldwin and walter bulwer were not in the same league] the ENGLISH TRADITION WAS VERY WEAK AND CLOSE TO BEING MORIBUND .
The point is that maccoll and lloyd did instigate a folkclub network,and many of the folk club stalwarts and some of the organisers were in the communist party ,Denis Manners[who started towersey village festival,Ted AND Ivy Poole who run the swindon folkclub [AND HAVE BEEN DOING SO FOR 46 YEARS]Red and Myra Abbott who started and ran Southend and LEIGH ON SEA ,for a number of years.