"Tolkien's work is deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon and Germanic mythology. The Shire is Southern England, specifically Oxfordshire. I wondered if Celtic music had been used for the films (which I haven't seen) but not according to Wikipedia. I have found samples of the soundtrack here (scroll down) and it sounds like early English light classical to me.

I'm just curious to know why you felt that Irish music was appropriate for a "Tolkien Meeting"."

Surely not that much of a stretch. Wagner uses Celtic heroes in his opera does he not, and Joyce used references to Dublin's Viking past in Ulysses.

Really they should have got Bono and Christy Moore to do the soundtrack.