This is in reply to leadfingers. During the sixties some of the best Irish music to be heard could be found in London pubs. The "favourite" a pub just off the Holloway road was legendary. Margaret Barry, Seamus Ennis, Tommy McCarthy, and Bobby Casey were just a few of the wonderful musicians that could be heard then. The heyday of Irish music in London is probably past but there is still some fine music to be heard especially in the old triangle a pub close to Arsenals football ground on sunday evenings.

The thing is that many of the best young irish musicians are descendants of people who used to play or listen to the music in the pubs in the 60's. As many of these young people have been brought up in London many dont have Irish accents. Sometimes "identity" can be a problem for when they visit Ireland many Irish people wont accept them as being Irish.Equally over here they are not accepted by the English. So Leadfingers the possiblity is that your friend actually came accross some very fine Irish musicians but because they didnt have Irish accents he may have formed a bias against them. It would be interesting to know where he came accross the music.