John MacKenzie said "...it was all about her technique"

Damn right, it's all about technique. The one that very few of us have and that takes many years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears to perfect.

Same thing's true of Jerry Douglas on the dobro, Ronan Browne on the whistle and uilleann pipes, Aly Bain on fiddle, Donald Shaw on accordion, Russ Barrenburg on guitar and Danny Thompson on bass. These are the best in the business and they play with the best in the business. Listen without prejudice and put aside the fact that she's American and that she's what many people would call a "country" singer. She seems to understand that song and conveys it better than any Irish singer I've ever heard (with the possible exception of Noel Murphy)

You don't have to like that rendition of Carrickfergus but by any definition it's anything but vile and awful.