Christy Moore lived and worked in England for a decade before the formation of Planxty and his return to Ireland. In common with Luke Kelly and Dominic Behan, he was not regarded first and foremost as an Irish singer but a singer.

I've never come across Irish musicians who regard themselves as 'separate'. This is usually a characteristic of the out-of-time Celtic bodhrán bashing brigade in festival beer tents.

On the subject of 'Best Tracks Ever Made', Joe Hill was definitely not Luke Kelly's 'best'. Here was a ballad singer with possibly the best diction ever produced in these islands and it would have been infinitely preferable had CM chosen another. Almost any other.