Conrad Your american experiences are irrelevant to me. There, Irish music has been hijacked by extremists and used for years to extract funding from the 'cry in your beer brigade.' The unfortunate result is that if you sing certain songs you are branded by people like yourself who dont understand the nature of the tradition.

There are two major traditions on this island. We are trying to get to a stage where we can mutually respect the other. My musical tradition is one which does not include orange songs. I have no desire to learn any. Why should I? They are not relevent to me. I have no problem with the music. However I would not sit in a pub and listen to music which I found offensive. Nor would I expect anyone to listen to me if my songs caused them offense. For instance one of my favourite's is 'The bold Fenian Men' because my mother sang it to me as a lullaby. It is not a glorification of war but northern ptoestants might well find it offensive. I would sing it in my local where ir would be acceptable. I was once shunned by a group of Notherners when I sang 'The Town I loved so Well'. I thought it was a fine song but it turned out the listeners were from East Belfast and thought I was being offensive. The notion that songs like 'of to Dublin in the Green' would incite people to pick up guns and start killing people is a joke. You may have spent 'hours sitting at the feet of 'The Chieftains' etc but you have failed to learn the nature of IRish Music. By the way if you dislike 'off to Dublin in the Green so much why do you go back each weekend to hear it. Most people that I know that play or listen to Irish music are non-political. The reason they play well known ballads is to get a sing song going.

Barry