What a pity this thread, like too many others has degenerated into petty bickering.

My experience of folk clubs in NE England, limited as it is, suggests that there is much traditional material sung, but not exclusively. Most people seem to sing a mixture of traditional songs and more recently composed songs informed by the tradition but by known writers. There are even, heaven forbid, some people who sing their own material.

At the end of the day a good song is a good song, whatever its origins and a good song well sung will usually go down well.

If that's new-agey, wifty-wafty snigger-snoggers, pseudo-celtic pogue-clones, purveyors of MOR tripe and 'good-enough-for-f*lk' dumbers-down material well so be it.