I don't know anything at all about the television show Geantraí or the DVD that was reviewed, and I know next to nothing about traditional Irish music {or any other kind of Irish music}. I opened this Mudcat thread because I was curious about the meaning of the word "geantrai".

Having read the full article that was hyperlinked, and having read this entire thread to date, maybe it's just me, Max, but I didn't get the sense of any personal conflict that you referred to in your post.

Instead, my reading of the comments from Mudcatters were that they disliked that review because, in their opinion, the reviewer let his strong opposition to guitar accompaniment for traditional Irish music color his review of judgement about that DVD, and tv show.

While I agree that the entire article did not need to be reposted, isn't it possible that the posters here might want to discuss the subject of the appropriateness of guitar accompaniment for traditional Irish songs as that point was so clearly a part of that review?

Perhaps because I'm so unfamiliar with traditiohal Irish folk music, I found this thread so far to be interesting reading, and I'd like to know more about the subject. For instance, I'm curious to know if unaccompanied singing was norm or if fiddle {violin} playing is/was thought to be appropriate for traditional Irish singing. And I'm assuming that there was no percussive instrument accompaniment such as drums. Is that so? What about handclapping and foot stomping?
Also, I'm curious to know when were guitars introduced as accompaniment to Irish folk music, or other types of Irish music?

Thanks,in advance for your responses to my questions.