Years ago I stumbled on a couple of Jim Brannigan's recordings on a site called Cantaria. I listened to those recordings over and over - Carrickfergus was one of them. Right away I realized that Jim has a way of getting a song across that is extraordinary - he's gifted. He's got a quality that isn't just the voice, or the delivery, but a combination of those things along with something else that I can only term inspiration - a knack for bringing out the essence of the song.   I've listened to Black Velvet Band on-line. Even the old chestnuts become new again and make me realize why everybody liked them so much.