Chorleybob,

"My reading of Irwin's piece was that it was a reflection on how steamed up the folkies had become over what was, in his opinion, inconsequential."

Then his opinion is ill-informed. He is imply supporting the Leonard line by ignoring the central truth and the central issue - TWHINATS.

He even falls foul of his own quote:
"Martin Carthy, the great sage of Brit folk, describes Lakeman as "upstanding and noble" for crediting The White Hare as traditional, but still thinks it absurd that it was nominated."

By joining JL he seems to have doubled the number of people who think the WH is trad. We only ever made a small point. A small nugget of truth in a sea of confusion?

Yes we folkies love a row but I have always found those in the Front for the protection of the Tradition (F.POTT) to have a clear and honest line whilst those in the Peoples Organisation For the Renewall of the Tradition (P.OFROT) to be confused and illinformed. And as for those in the .............